8 h. ago How SNP's £7.8 billion austerity drive helped create Scotland's social care crisis

The SNP government cut a total of £7.8 billion from core council budgets between 2013-14 and 2025-26, according to a new analysis by Scottish Labour

Economics

50 h. ago Adult social care facing ‘doom loop’ amid increased costs – report

Analysis of data over almost a decade suggested fewer adults are getting help from councils in England despite a rise in requests.

Politics

64 h. ago A gorgeous flash of colour in a murky loch: how nudibranchs won my heart

With a beauty that belies its name, the sea slug is an invertebrate that reminds me of a happy Scottish summerIt has been a long time since I’ve thought about nudibranchs, let alone spotted one. But a lifetime ago, as a zoology undergraduate at Glasgow University, I spent hours underwater, swimming through kelp forests, corals and shipwrecks, looking out for the tiny, colourful creatures.Diving on the west coast of Scotland is spectacular for all the reasons you might expect: the drama of the islands, bays and meandering sea lochs against the mountains, the rugged rocky shores, the awe-inspiring wildness. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer’s Trump meeting ‘spectacular success’, says Streeting, as Tories dismiss president’s backing for Chagos deal – UK politics live

Health secretary hails talks over defence, security and trade as Badenoch says her party will continue to oppose Chagos dealWes Streeting, the health secretary, was doing an interview round this morning to promote an announcement about a new contract for GPs in England. He claims it will end the “8am scramble” for GP appointments.Explaining how this would work, the Department of Health and Social Care says in its news release:The new deal agreed yesterday (February 27) between the government and British Medical Association (BMA) will free up doctors from red tape and box-ticking targets to concentrate on what they do best – treating patients.The new agreed contract will modernise general practice by requiring GP surgeries to allow patients to request appointments online throughout working hours from October, freeing up the phones for those who need them most, and making it easier for practices to triage patients based on medical need. The reforms are part of the government’s Plan fo...

Politics

5 d. ago GPs in England accept contract terms helping end ‘8am scramble’ for appointments

The British Medical Association (BMA), the trade union for doctors, and the Government agreed the deal at a meeting on Thursday.

Politics

5 d. ago Stark warning more than two million are in need of urgent NHS dental care

Although the Department of Health and Social Care said that it was rolling out the new appointments from April, it is feared this won't be enough to fix the UK's denistry dilemma

Events

6 d. ago New NHS boss insists she is NOT 'a mouthpiece' for Wes Streeting or the Department of Health

Dr Penny Dash (pictured) told MPs on the Commons Health and Social Care Committee she is 'ambitious' and a 'strong person'.

Politics

7 d. ago City breaks help drive surge in summer travel demand for On The Beach

The travel agency pointed to a 10% rise in advance bookings for the crucial summer period, compared to the same time last year.

Transport

9 d. ago Adult social care must be ‘modernised’ to help London councils on brink of bankruptcy, says care minister

London’s boroughs have warned that they have faced ‘rocketing demand for social care’

Politics

1 week ago Scottish Labour pledges to tackle corridor care with more social care packages

The party proposes buying hundreds of temporary care home places so that patients who are medically fit can leave hospital while waiting for permanent support.

Politics

1 week ago Cardiff council plans to hike council tax and increase the cost of parking permits

As part of its proposed budget for 2025-26 Cardiff council also plans to spend money in a number of areas like schools and social care

Economics

1 week ago P1 Contractors and Johnsons Nurseries bring green life to new health and social hub in Glasgow

P1 Contractors and Johnsons Nurseries are proud to have played a key role in the successful delivery of the landscaping and planting for the new Parkhead Health and Social Care Hub in Glasgow.

Politics

1 week ago Open Day: Discover how outdoor learning creates the ‘Glenalmond spirit’ at school in spectacular setting

Glenalmond College is an education based on adventure, with pupils experiencing outdoor activities including mountain biking, rock climbing and mountaineering. Discover more at the school open day Saturday, 22 March.

Politics

1 week ago Council tax to rise by 5 per cent in Bury amid new parking charges

The council has called for a review of local government funding as demand for services, espcially adult social care, increases

Politics

1 week ago London's town halls can help pull in the tech investment that will drive UK's growth

Local authorities can bring organisations and people together who can help deliver economic progress for all.

Science

1 week ago 'Significant overspends' in social care will continue without more work on prevention and early intervention

But council director stresses that people with higher levels of need will always be helped

Economics

1 week ago Why the impact of the Women’s World Cup is already being felt months before the tournament begins

Significant funding from the RFU and government is helping to drive growing interest in women’s and girls’ rugby across England

Politics

2 w. ago Book Review: 'Disposable' a journey through the inequities exposed by the COVID

Journalist Sarah Jones chronicles the gaps in the nation's health care system and social safety net that were highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic in “Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass.”

Politics

2 w. ago What I learned from a lovely woman on a packed ward in hospital | Zoe Williams

Healthy people are being forced to stay in hospital because of a lack of social care – and it’s an indictment of our current systemPoliticians talk constantly about the crisis in social care, and the pressure it puts on the NHS, so that the words just turn into a hum. Then you brush against that in real life and think why is anyone, with any kind of authority over anything, doing any activity that isn’t sorting out social care?My mum has been in hospital, on a ward with five other patients, most of whom are vocally very displeased with being there. My mum just wants to feel less crappy, and fair play, who wouldn’t? The woman diagonally opposite just wants to see a doctor, but is a bit fogged on when she last saw one, which is hard. The woman directly opposite has a massive family, and gets constant Fomo, even when they’re all – even the teenagers – right round her bed, and she’s the event she would otherwise be missing out on. The woman in the corner was incredibly buoyed by the app...

Politics