A&E Performance Getting Worse

The numbers of people not being seen within the target times for visiting Accident and Emergency has increased again, leading to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issuing a statement stating, “The situation as we enter winter is dire. Month-on-month, more and more patients face longer and longer waits – that we know are […]

Politicians Briefing from NHS Fife

Issue 86 | 28 October 2022 Elected Members Update for local MPs, MSPs and Councillors                                 This update is part of our on-going commitment to keep elected members informed of the latest developments at NHS Fife that may be of interest to you and your constituents. We would also encourage you to regularly visit and refer […]

Scottish Government “All Plans No Action” as FOI Shows Over 450 Strategies in Last Ten Years

The Scottish Government are show themselves to be all plans no action after a my Freedom of Information request revealed the SNP Government has produced over 450 “strategy” documents in the last ten years alone. I queried the Scottish Government as to how many strategy documents had been produced, and found that 160 strategies, 202 […]

Fife Firefighters Ballot for Strike Action

Firefighters in Fife are warning they face strike action unless the pay offer of 5% is substantially improved. The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is to consult their members on the latest pay offer through a ballot of the membership which will run for two weeks from the 31st October this year. Local union reps met […]

Care Home Residents are Being Fleeced

I raised the issue of self-funding care home residents facing ever increasing charges – self-funders are being fleeced and are at the mercy of care home owners. Care home residents are self-funders when they have savings and or a capital asset and have been assessed as having to pay for their own care home fees. […]

ME/CFS Campaigners at Scottish Parliament

I have called for the Scottish Government to fully implement their NICE Guideline on Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) after meeting campaigners for ME awareness at the Scottish Parliament. The campaigners from ME Action were representing their #MILLIONSMISSING campaign, calling for more ME specialists in the NHS to ensure people are being diagnosed appropriately […]

Shelter Scottish Housing Emergency Action Plan

I have called on the Scottish Government to commit to a series of actions from Shelter Scotland in delivering a Scottish Housing Emergency Action Plan in order to protect households from homelessness as the cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen. Shelter Scotland have highlighted that in the last year the number of children stuck in temporary […]

Cuts to Benefits Impacting Fife Families

34,814 people in Fife receiving Universal Credit have been impoverished by at least £50m a year after two changes in benefit payments – last month’s withdrawal of the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit and the failure to raise benefits 10% to keep in line with inflation and instead only raise them by 3% […]

Scottish Tories Reject Calls for Unity Over Energy Price Freeze Demand

Scottish Conservatives have rejected my call for all Scottish Politicians to unite in demanding more action from the UK Government on skyrocketing energy bills. Scottish Conservatives have refused to sign a motion I put forward calling on emergency action from the UK Government in the form of an immediate energy bill freeze. I have written […]