Industrial action suspended with a record 12.4% pay increase for junior doctors and doctors in training for 2023/24 has been agreed with the British Medical Association. Following discussions with Health Secretary Michael Matheson this afternoon, BMA Scotland have agreed to suspend strike action while they consult their members on this deal.
Decriminalisation of all drugs for personal supply is one of a number of polices which the Scottish Government is calling on the UK Government to implement in a new paper on drug law reform. The move would allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies looks recent trends in households' living standards, with a particular focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21 and 2021-22. It's often assumed that older people who left the workforce during the pandemic were largely wealthy people retiring in comfort.
A new universal login is making public services easier to access online for more than 1.5 million people. The system, allows users to have just one account, one username, one password and one identity check to use Government services.
Fifty-six councils across the UK to receive funding totalling more than £1.2 million to target chewing gum stains. More than 50 councils across the UK are to receive grants totalling more than £1.2 million to remove discarded chewing gum from our streets and prevent it from being littered again.
Tackling child poverty is a stated priority of the Scottish Government. Yet recent data has displayed little progress towards eradicating poverty and Scottish Government modelling now shows, with its current set of policies, the interim 2023/24 statutory targets are likely to be missed following a ‘deterioration in the macroeconomic situation'.
Highland Council last week carried a motion which aims to ensure the region's communities reap fairer reward for renewable energy generated in Highland. Members at last week's full meeting of Highland Council agreed a motion which called for the local authority to negotiate with renewable energy companies to ensure a fair financial settlement, which would enhance investment opportunities and support communities who live alongside renewable facilities.
Judge - Thames Water "deliberately misled" the Environment Agency in and around pollution of rivers in Sussex and Surrey in which several thousand fish died. Thames Water has been fined £3.33m after millions of litres of raw sewage flooded 2 rivers near Gatwick.
Health Secretary Michael Matheson has paid tribute to the staff who have helped deliver the NHS throughout its 75 year existence. Mr Matheson praised the extraordinary efforts of those involved with the service, particularly in the recent years of the pandemic.
A new online Midlife MOT has been launched to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance, and to assess what their skills mean for their careers and futures. The free Midlife MOT website encourages people to review their skills and help to break down barriers to the labour market, in turn delivering on the Government's priority to grow the economy.
Many women will, at least temporarily, be the breadwinner at some point in their relationship. Changing employment trends and gender roles will affect many households.
Scotland will mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla with a series of events in Edinburgh today. The King, accompanied by The Queen, will be presented with the Honours of Scotland - Scotland's crown jewels – at a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral.
Dounreay has been encouraging local students to consider careers in science by helping them to discover the science of flight. SSA, the pioneering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) organisation, is delivering flight simulator sessions across Caithness and Sutherland as part of a new Newton module called ‘Up in the Air with Numbers'.
Scotland's crofters will get help with high energy costs through new grant funding to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Through an extension to the Scottish Government's Croft House Grant, crofters can now apply for grants of up to £38,000 towards the costs of home improvements which will help them save energy - such as loft or wall insulation, new zero direct emissions heating systems or upgraded windows and doors.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has published the latest childhood immunisation report describing the uptake rates for children in Scotland to the end of March 2023. This shows, that while uptake of immunisations for children remains high in Scotland, quarterly uptake rates over the past 10 years have shown gradual declines in Scotland in all routine immunisations.
If you have debt and little savings loans and mortgages and credit card debt then you should read this and start taking action if you can. For many this will mean stop spending and pay off the credit cards and try to make sure you have three months savings ready for further mortgage pain etc.
The Scottish Government has accepted the 6% pay increase for senior NHS staff recommended by the independent Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body (DDRB). The award will mean NHS Scotland senior medical and dental staff, general medical practitioners and general dental practitioners will receive a 6% pay increase for this year, backdated to 1 April 2023.
The UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships are taking place at Nevis Range from 3 - 5 August 2023. Scotland, for the first time ever, will host all 13 UCI World Championships across Scotland from 3 - 13 August, with Nevis Range being one of the earliest events on the schedule.
The eyes of the world will be on Scotland in August as more than 2,000 elite cyclists and para-cyclists arrive from over 100 countries for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. This event, hosted in Glasgow with events taking place across the country, will bring 13 World Championships together in one place for the first time.
Over recent decades, the Danish labour market has performed comparatively well. Denmark has exhibited not only a low unemployment rate, but also rising employment and high job mobility across shifting economic cycles.
