Due to government cuts and the current cost of living crisis, councils are being forced to make drastic cuts in their health and social care budgets.
Unused COVID-19 funds were clawed back from local authorities; we suggest the return of these funds would alleviate the considerable financial burdens facing councils, helping prevent care home closures. Current research suggests one care home in Scotland is closing every week!
South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have a £38millon budget deficit for year 23/24. To save money, they have proposed closing two care homes in Lanarkshire.
After being advised that the Integration Joint Board (IJB) would be holding a vote on whether to close McClymont House, family members lobbied the four voting councillors about our concerns as this is the only remaining council run care home in the vicinity. They voted against the proposal, resulting in a split vote, a first for any Scottish IJB. New admissions have been halted and a consultation process is underway.
Ensure accurate information is used when issuing court summons
- 7 Signatures
On Saturday 4th November 2023, Police Scotland attempted to arrest a paramedic at home due to missing a court date. The summons had been sent to a previous address and thus the paramedic had no knowledge of it. On the evening of the 6th of November, the individual was arrested and spent the night in the cells. The summons was for a court date in 2018.
This happened over Guy Fawkes weekend. This situation did not help the public, potentially putting the public at risk of harm by reducing medical cover on a weekend whereby significant burns and trauma are highly likely.
Police Scotland got the address for the warrant without difficulty; thus, one could argue they could have as easily gotten the address and delivered the summons. This would have saved significant time for police, public money, cell space, and court time.
Prioritise local participation in planning decisions
- 206 Signatures
Due to Argyll & Bute being a large and sparsely populated area, the Council has 4 Area Committees for localised decision-making, however, the Planning Committee has councillors from all 4 of these areas.
In recent years, 3 controversial Helensburgh planning applications have been decided by the Planning Committee. All 3 were opposed by Helensburgh Community Council and by the majority of Helensburgh and Lomond Area councillors serving on the Planning Committee. Nevertheless, they were passed by a majority of councillors from other areas, none of whom could be considered truly local.
In our discussions with the chief executive and executive director of the Council, our proposals were dismissed because of the "quasi-judicial" nature of the planning process.
Helensburgh Community Council feels that our role as a statutory consultee has in practice been a statutory right to be ignored – contrary to the Community Empowerment Act. Hence the need for this petition.
Ensure accuracy of statements informing Child Welfare Reports
- Final Signatures: 99
Information given in statements for a child welfare report are not checked as accurate but are treated by the court as true in good faith.
These reports are court documents and should be signed as true in the same way as police statements are. Interviews should be recorded and kept until the report is signed as accurate to allow any discrepancies to be checked. Every deterrent should be in place to prevent false information or inaccurate notes.
As someone trying to raise concerns about an abusive relationship and trying to protect their child, allowing statements that are inaccurate and misleading to be submitted to and acted on by the court is giving other parties another platform to continue their behaviour. The only chance to challenge inaccuracies is via your solicitor, and if they won't, these statements are taken as fact and can mislead the court.
Our children deserve a fair hearing.
Stop the proposed centralisation of specialist neonatal units in NHS Scotland
- 1,949 Signatures
These plans would affect services across Scotland, including specialist neonatal units in University Hospital Wishaw which is award winning, Ninewells in Dundee and Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
The centralisation of neonatal services to three units in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen could place additional stress on expectant parents and premature babies. Clinical whistleblowers have said that the decision to downgrade these facilities could endanger the lives of vulnerable babies and place remarkable strain on families.
There is a particular focus on retaining services at University Hospital Wishaw (Neonatal unit of the year 2023). Downgrading this unit would mean that NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland’s third largest health board, that serves a population of 655,000 people, may lose a high-functioning service for babies/families which would have a potentially disastrous knock on effect on services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Grampian.
Treat vapes and e-cigarettes like cigarettes and tobacco
- Final Signatures: 56
In 2010, legislation was passed to prohibit the display of tobacco and smoking related products, and to protect children from eye-catching, colourful displays. This ban came into full effect in April 2015.
In 2020, the sale of menthol cigarettes was banned in the UK to prevent young people from smoking as it was shown that the menthol flavour masked the harshness of the smoke.
The 2018 Tobacco Action Plan aims to create a tobacco free generation by 2034, but what about the highly addictive nicotine?
The Scottish Government ran a consultation in 2022 seeking views on tightening the rules on advertising and promoting vaping products.
If vapes and e-cigarettes are to be sold as a cessation tool, then make them tobacco flavoured as opposed to every colour and flavour of a sweet shop. These devices are displayed on brightly lit billboards at shop entrances, all over shop floors, and often with promotional prices encouraging multiple unit sales.
Offer covid-19 vaccine boosters to teachers and school staff
- Final Signatures: 265
I'm starting this petition as a retired teacher who worked for the Scottish NHS as a Contact Tracing Practitioner until January this year. This experience gave me insight into how many people - teachers, children and other family members - were catching Covid at or from school. It's a no-brainer to focus on reducing transmission in schools. This measure will also reduce costs to schools for supply staff covering for sick colleagues, as well as protecting teachers from the consequences of both Acute and long-covid. Too many of my former colleagues have struggled to overcome Long Covid; many have had to leave teaching.
Children and staff deserve protection. Vaccination is one added layer of protection, using "Dr Reason's Swiss Cheese Model".
Our strategy for living with covid-19 must change so fewer people end up disabled or dying from it.
Infections like Covid, flu, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection, measles and TB spread by inhaling tiny airborne aerosols hanging in the air like smoke. Key ways to prevent it are to improve air quality and wear well-fitting respiratory masks. Reinfection increases risk of long-term serious damage potentially for anyone, to brain, heart, immune system, etc. Care workers top the long Covid league. Repeated illness and job loss put avoidable pressure on services. The rate of hospital acquired Covid infection has been shown to be higher than in the community (ARHAI ceased collecting that data in March, prior to the removal of masking guidance in May). Clinically vulnerable people often must use care but some are cancelling essential health appointments. Transmission is often asymptomatic. Covid isn’t seasonal. Routine testing is thus essential. There are many tools to protect health and the NHS. Only one is being used: vaccination – which is unavailable to many, including some clinically vulnerable people.
Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death
- 2,080 Signatures
On 19 March 2022, my son, David Hill, died while playing for the Parliament’s rugby team in Dublin. Almost a year after his death we found that he had died from an undiagnosed genetic condition which stopped his heart.
There is no screening programme for young people with these conditions and current estimates are that there are at least 12 preventable deaths each week in the UK.
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) support and fund research as well as providing screening, which is mostly funded by bereaved families. Through this, CRY believes the incidence of young people identified with a potentially fatal cardiac condition (if untreated) to be 1:300, with another 1:100 to be found with a condition that could cause serious issues later in life if not monitored. The National Screening Committee (NSC) believe the incidence to be approx. 1 or 2:100,000. This discrepancy makes it difficult to establish the benefit of funding a national strategy. With accurate data from Scotland, the NSC could revisit their decision.
Screening costs £65 per person, and initially consists of an ECG, with follow-up by cardiologists.
Historic conservation areas throughout Scotland are falling into disrepair.
We understand the challenges faced by both national and local government in managing limited funding, however, current funding for conservation areas is insufficient. We kindly request that the Scottish Government address the specific concerns raised regarding the funding for conservation areas.
Residents at one conservation area - the Park Conservation Area in Glasgow - recently asked why works were not carried out in accordance with their area’s appraisal document. Glasgow City Council advised they do not have the funds for this work. As a result, the area’s history is being slowly eroded.
Preserving historic areas throughout Scotland is not merely an act of conservation, but testament to our collective identity and cultural diversity. Safeguarding these spaces helps honour the voices of our ancestors, celebrate the triumphs and lessons of history, and inspire future generations with a profound sense of belonging and continuity.