Author: Peacock Carter

Local Authorities in Scotland have dealt with more than 60,000 complaints about pests in local authority housing in the last three years. 

The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats using Freedom of Information showed councils across Scotland reported the following number of complaints:

• 2016 – 22,236
• 2017 – 17,567
• 2018 – 21,365

Therefore, over the past three years a total of 61,168 complaints were received. 

Tenants complained about issues with a range of pests, including woodlice, seagulls, bats wasps, beetles, cockroaches, mice, rats, moths, squirrels, flees, spider beetles, slaters, birds, silverfish, foxes, pigeons and slugs.

Liberal Democrat housing spokeswoman Caron Lindsay said: “Although in some cases the presence of pests is unavoidable, the scale on which local authority tenants are reporting bed bugs, wasps, mice and other animals in their houses is staggering.

“It is completely unacceptable to house people in buildings that have cockroaches or other unhygienic infestations. Imagine how awful it must be to feel that you can't let your baby play on the floor in case they pick up mouse droppings or some other nasty.

“Every person deserves a clean and comfortable home. Poor quality housing can take a huge toll on people’s mental and physical health. If the SNP hadn’t been slashing local authority budgets for years they would be better placed to provide that.

“The Scottish Government should use these statistics as yet another reason to get on with building more social housing and ensuring councils have the resources to fix poor housing before it falls into disrepair.”

Elena Whitham, community well-being spokeswoman for the local government body Cosla, said: "Every home in Scotland will experience unwanted guests/pests on occasion. 

"Scottish Councils spend a significant sum every year maintaining around 314,000 homes in urban and rural areas across the country. 

"All local authorities will seek to remedy any issues arising from housing reports from tenants as quickly as possible." 

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: "We expect local authorities and registered social landlords to ensure their homes are kept in a good state of repair and are otherwise fit for human habitation. Local authorities can provide advice and assistance, and have powers under environmental protection legislation to tackle nuisances. 

"The Scottish Government's target of delivering at least 50,000 affordable homes, including 35,000 for social rent, is on track to be delivered over this Parliament. 

"The 2019-20 Scottish Budget also provides local government with an additional £298.5m revenue funding, a real terms increase of 1.2% for day-to-day services."

Water and environment testing will be carried out at St Ambrose and Buchanan high school campus in Coatbridge.

This is part of an independent review that is being conducted in relation to reported health and safety concerns at two Coatbridge schools after water supply contamination fears. The review team is looking at specific health and safety concerns as well as the history, construction and maintenance of the school campus.

Water testing will be carried out by Scottish Water. Wider environmental testing at the campus will include soil, water and the integrity of the methane membrane, installed as a safety measure when the campus was built. 

The specific detail and locations of the testing will be determined by the review team in conjunction with SEPA and other environmental health bodies.

The results of the tests will be published as part of the report due ahead of the school opening on 12 August.

Read initial story here.

Ayrshire new potatoes are to be granted protected geographic indication (PGI) status by the EU at the end of the month, after a three- year campaign to be given the status. 

The potatoes, also known as Ayrshire Earlies, will be one of 15 listed PGIs in Scotland and includes Scotch whisky, Stornoway Black Pudding and Scottish salmon. 

Ayrshire Earlies are the very first potatoes of the Scottish season, and are naturally small with a delicate skin. They are sold with the soil still on them in order to protect them. Their unique growing conditions of sandy soil which together with the Gulf Stream ensure a warm, frost-free, environment, gives them a unique skin and flavour compared to potatoes harvested later.

The PGI status of Ayrshire new potatoes is limited to immature potatoes of the Solanum tuberosum species of the Solanaceae family grown in the county of Ayrshire. They must be planted, grown and harvested within the defined geographical area (the areas of North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire councils). 

The PGI status only protects the Ayrshire name between May to the end of July to cover the ‘early’ status.  The early varieties produce a unique fluffy skin, but after July, they have a set skin like other potatoes and are not covered with the PGI after this period.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "This is great news for Ayrshire potato growers, particularly given the current uncertainty for the industry being caused by Brexit. 

"Scotland has an unrivalled global reputation for quality food and drink produced from our own natural larder. 

"PGI status not only helps protect the provenance of products like Scotch whisky, Stornoway Black Pudding and Arbroath smokies but also assures consumers at home and abroad that they can trust the product they are buying, and ensures that the right expertise, ingredients and methods of production are being used. 

"I'm delighted that Ayrshire Earlies are the latest fine Scottish product to benefit from that protection.

"My congratulations to the Girvan Early Growers for making this happen." 

Andrew Young, of Girvan Early Growers, who was one of the main drivers behind the push for protected status said: "The Ayrshire potato growers are delighted to have achieved PGI status, to protect a product that is over 120 years old. 

"It is good to be recognised the same way as so many other high quality food and drink items are, and we hope that it will help to secure the future of potato growing in Ayrshire by assuring customers they are buying a genuine article with provenance, quality and flavour." 

The current system of EU geographical indications ensures only products from a particular region can be badged as such and prevents them from being imitated by others

PGI status is given to regional food products across the EU that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic attributable to the area they’re grown or made in, and ensures they are legally protected from imitation throughout the EU. It can also help promote the product and the area they are grown in. 

The Scottish Government is considering a proposal to charge consumers 20 to 25p for single-use disposable cups, after an expert panel found it would encourage more use of reusable alternatives.

The Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures(EPECOM) found 200 million single-use disposable beverage cups were consumed each year in Scotland and without intervention, this is projected to increase to 310 million by 2025, according to EPECOM’s report.

A charge of at least 20p would be needed to change the behaviour of 49% of the population, according to an academic literature review from the University of Cardiff, which was commissioned by the panel.

The review did note that though the cup charge would be effective and unlikely to affect hot drinks sales, the use of single-use disposable cups is more resistant to behavioural change than single-use carrier bags.

EPECOM was set up in May 2018 to advise Scottish ministers on charges which have the potential to encourage long-term and sustainable changes to consumer and producer behaviour.

The Panel advises that promoting cultural and behavioural change is critical and will underpin the success of implementing any of the other measures recommended.

A range of other measures and interventions have been provided in the Panel’s report, which states that there is “no single solution” to reducing single-use cup use given the complexities of how people access on-the-go beverages.

As well as introducing a charge for disposable cups, the report highlights the need for a fundamental change to make reusable containers more accessible and convenient.

Retailers should encourage reuse at point of sale and single-use cups should be banned in settings where this is possible – such as workplaces or festivals – the Scottish panel believes. Trials to establish this culture should take place in significant locations in Scotland, potentially by the end of 2019.

The panel also suggested that the Scottish government consider an “ambitious” national consumption reduction target for single-use disposable beverage cups. It also supported banning the sale of non-recyclable expanded polystyrene/PVC cups by 2021, in line with EU Single-use Plastics Directive.

Welcoming the report, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“Disposable cups present an obvious littering issue, but there is ever-growing awareness within our society of the impact single-use plastic has on our wider environment.

“The scale of the issue is also clear – as is the Expert Panel’s conclusion that no one measure alone will be effective: our approach to reducing single-cup use must involve a joined-up effort across government, business, communities and individuals.” 

“I am grateful to the Expert Panel for their thorough, evidence-based assessment of measures to reduce the consumption of single-use cups in Scotland. I will be giving the report’s findings my full consideration and will respond to the Panel’s recommendations in due course.”

Dame Sue Bruce, Chair, Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures said:

“Over the first year the Panel has focused its attentions on single-use disposable beverage cups. We have discovered that there are many complex issues to tackle and a myriad of factors that must be considered. We have asked questions about what we can do together in Scotland – as consumers, communities, producers, retailers and government – to radically change our attitudes and our use of single-use items.

Our conclusion is that there needs to be a fundamental move away from single-use disposable beverage cups and not just to an improved model for recycling. We have recommended a range of measures to achieve this – including charging separately for disposable cups and developing pilots to promote reusable cups.”

Health boards in Scotland are to be given a share of £1.7 million to deliver new standards for weight management services for children and young people. 

The Scottish government funding is part of a plan to halve the number of overweight under-18s by 2030 and reduce diet-related health inequalities.

It is a reaction to growing inequality in the levels of obesity between children in the wealthiest and poorest areas of Scotland.

The investment comes after NHS Health Scotland published standards for weight management services for under 18 year olds, to ensure quality and equal access to provision across the country.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “We want children and families to have access to the appropriate support to achieve as healthy a weight as possible, no matter where they live.

“We are committed to supporting local partners across health and local government to develop ambitious and effective plans to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. Weight management services will be a vital component of effective action.”

Senior Health Improvement Officer at NHS Health Scotland Suzanne Connolly PhD said: “We all have a responsibility to work together to help people in Scotland to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

“There is growing inequality in the prevalence of obesity between children in our wealthiest and poorest areas, and we have to address it.

“The standards published by NHS Health Scotland are designed to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland will receive the same high quality weight management support, informed by the best evidence available and good practice.”

A Nairn restaurant and take-away owner has been prosecuted by the Highland Council after officers from Environmental Health uncovered a catalogue of unsafe food hygiene practices.   

An inspection of the Al Raj Restaurant, in Harbour Street, Nairn was carried out on 21 September 2017 as part of Operation Hottah which is a multi-agency operation involving officers from Environmental Health, Police Scotland, Home Office Immigration Enforcement and HMRC. 

Inside the kitchen officers identified a significant number of food safety contraventions including dirty equipment, inadequate cleaning and disinfection of work surfaces, and unsafe food storage and handling practices, all of which created a serious risk to food safety. As a result, the officers served an enforcement notice to stop the food operation. 

On the 9 July 2019 at Inverness Sheriff Court, Mr Mobarok Ali pleaded guilty to three food safety offences under The Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and was fined a total of £4800. 

Andy Summers, Head of Environmental and Amenity Services at Highland Council said: "The basic principles of food hygiene were clearly being ignored and unsafe practices placed the consumer at risk of food poisoning. 

"Food business operators have a clear and absolute legal duty to ensure that they handle, prepare and serve food safely and the Highland Council is committed to ensuring that food hygiene standards are met by all food businesses. 

"The Council takes protection of the public and food hygiene matters extremely seriously. Our officers are happy to work with and advise businesses on these issues, however, where standards have slipped to unacceptable levels, we will not hesitate to use formal action to secure compliance with legislation."

Image: Unclean floor surfaces under kitchen work equipment- Highland Council

A washing machine and tumble dryer are to be installed at a school in Glasgow following an infestation of bed bugs. 

St Bride's Primary is located in the Strathbungo area, which Glasgow City Council said had been affected by pest control issues for several years. 

The council said free to use washing and drying machines are to be installed in the school in the coming months to help tackle the issue and will be used to boil wash clothes of children whose families do not have available facilities.

A council spokeswoman said: "Our schools play an active and important role in many different issues affecting their local community – offering support and advice to their families far beyond learning and teaching. 

"Supporting our children and our staff are a top priority and while challenging for all, we are working with a number of agencies to do all that we can to put measures in place that will help the school manage the situation. 

"This must be done as sensitively as possible so that there is no stigma for our children and families."

The council said that it had been working to deal with pest control issues in Govanhill for some time. Pest control officers also visited the school in March and two other visits are planned before the new term in August.

The council spokeswoman added: "The measures introduced in the school are having an impact with no active sightings in the school since January and no additional staff affected.

"This includes hosting information sessions – inviting along other professionals, as appropriate – to help educate families with problems affecting their homes that can sometimes have an impact on schools."

Tom Bell, Chief Executive of REHIS was asked to provide an informed view to the Evening Times and offered a general view of bed bugs and treatment of infestation and not a comment on the particular school of interest.

The followiNg was advised:

How could bed bugs get into a school in the first place?

Bed Bugs are an increasingly common pest across the world – perhaps the increased movement of people over and within national borders is a factor – domestic and international travel, and migration have increased in recent years.

Bed Bugs are more likely to be found in harbourages within close proximity of the human host – carpet edges, skirting boards, loose wallpaper, bed leg/head joints and folds in bed mattresses. They can be carried from e.g. the home into a school on clothes and bedding and if these clothes and bedding are left in a warm room adult Bed Bugs may leave the safety of the clothing/bedding and lay eggs in harbourages described above before seeking a human host to feed on.

With repeated visits, is there a possibility that this was caused by re-infestation from staff and/or pupils? 

Re-infestation of a treated premises is very possible if staff/pupils return to the school from infested homes – see above.

Is there a possibility that, if the bugs have not been eradicated from people's homes, as well as schools, that these could return if not properly policed? 

This scenario is highly likely. Homes should also be appropriately surveyed and treated – this can be especially difficult if houses are overcrowded as there are likely to be many personal possessions and more furniture making effective/targeted application of insecticide difficult to achieve. Reluctance by an occupier to admit that their house may be infested along with practical difficulties associated with gaining access are two of many obstacles to efficient and effective control in homes.

What treatments could have been used to rid the school of the bugs? Is there a chance, with repeated exposure to these chemicals, that this could be damaging to people's health in the long term if exposure continues? 

There are chemical and non-chemical treatments available to treat Bed Bugs but the most usual in the situation you describe would be a chemical treatment.

If this is the case then the Council will have engaged a trained and competent organisation to carry out a pre-treatment survey to establish the presence and location of any infestation – this is best practice and should always be undertaken. A number of chemical insecticides are available for eradication of such an infestation. All will have to have been licensed for use in given situations and personnel will have been trained and deemed competent to apply the insecticide appropriately and safely (for themselves and for anyone using the premises – teachers, students, visitors and ancillary staff.

Treatments/repeat treatments should only be undertaken if there is evidence of infestation/re-infestation. Occasionally bites on humans are deemed to indicate infestation in one premises when the reality is that the human was bitten in a different premises. Knowledge of the lifecycle of the Bed Bug is essential if treatments are to properly control the infestation. Adult females lay eggs (up to 25 each week) and the eggs hatch within between 4/5 days (in warm conditions) and 17/18 days (in cold or hot conditions). Eggs hatch and nymphs emerge – there are five nymphal stages before Bed Bugs mature into adults – egg to adult stage can take between 36 and 128 days. Schools tend to be warm all day especially within term times so development between eggs hatching and nymphs reaching adult stage will be quicker. Insecticides should therefore be reapplied at intervals which take account of the lifecycle – re-treatments should be undertaken after perhaps two/three weeks to allow eggs to hatch and for first stage nymphs to emerge.

Potentially infested bedding/clothing should be removed from the infested room and washed at as hot a temperature as the fabric will allow. Tumble drying at a temperature as hot as the fabric will allow should follow. No untreated bedding/clothing should be re-introduced to the treated room and the treated room should not be vacuum cleaned between treatments.

All insecticides used in the UK are licensed and approved by Government for use in particular situations. The application of these insecticides is also regulated and all personnel fully trained in the appropriate use of them. Staff and students should be kept out of the treated rooms in line with advice from the manufacturer’s which should be relayed to the staff by the personnel applying the insecticide in question. Ill health resulting from exposure to insecticides in the UK is very unlikely.

The Scottish Government has announced that an independent review will be conducted in relation to reported health and safety concerns at two Coatbridge schools after water supply contamination fears.

The review, jointly agreed between the Scottish Government, North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire, is looking at specific health and safety concerns raised as well as the history, construction and maintenance of the site.

It comes after four teachers at Buchanan High were diagnosed with the same form of bladder cancer. Concerns have been voiced over the possible contamination of the Coatbridge site, upon which the shared campus of Buchanan High School, St Ambrose High School and Townhead Road community centre was built, since it was reported that blue water was emerging from the pipes.

The campus opened in 2012 on land which had previously been used by Gartsherrie Ironworks for the dumping of industrial waste between 1945 and 1972.

The review will address specific health concerns that have been raised by the school and local community such as possible exposure to unspecified chemicals resulting from previous land use, attending the school and acquiring cancer and the presence of copper in the water supply.

The review will also assess the risk assessment made and validation of works undertaken across the site to assess whether all activity was carried out in accordance with appropriate Regulations and best practice to mitigate against any risk to public health.

The review will be carried out by a party independent of the original works. The party will review reports and scientific or other information relevant to decisions within scope of the review made by organisations such as Drinking Water Regulator for Scotland, Health & Safety Executive, North Lanarkshire Council’s Director of Enterprise and Communities (Planning/Building and Environmental Health), NHS Lanarkshire, SEPA and Scottish Water

The purpose of the review is to provide further reassurance to the local community and will determine whether additional evidence or action is required in order to provide such further reassurance.

Paul Cackette and Dr Margaret Hannah, who are leading the investigation, met with the headteachers of Buchanan High and St Ambrose High schools, public health experts from NHS Lanarkshire and representatives of North Lanarkshire Council.

Depute First Minister John Swinney said: “There have been a number of significant concerns raised by families, teachers and elected representatives about the safety of the Buchanan and St Ambrose High School.

“I recognise that North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire have undertaken extensive work in an effort to address the concerns expressed by the local community.

“However in light of continuing concerns being raised, ministers have agreed with North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Lanarkshire to immediately commission an impartial, independent review.

“This will assess existing evidence and determine if more needs to be done to further mitigate any concerns of pupils, their parents and staff and provide further reassurance to the local community.”

North Lanarkshire Council chief executive Des Murray said: ‘We welcome the support of the Government in providing further reassurance to the community.

‘Specialist doctors from NHS Lanarkshire have confirmed no incidence of cancer is linked to the schools. They also confirmed no other serious illness is connected to the schools or the site on which they are built. All the facts demonstrate that the schools and site on which they are built are safe.’

New regulations on school meals will be introduced in Scotland as part of an effort to tackle childhood obesity.

The regulations include setting a maximum limit on the amount of red processed meat that can be consumed over the course of the school week.

Scotland will become the first part of the UK to set such a limit when the change is brought in.

The move is part of a new initiative to make school food healthier and will see an increase in the amount of fruit and vegetables served, whilst significantly reducing the amount of sugar available throughout the school day.

The Scottish Government and local authorities are jointly committed to providing the healthiest food to children and young people. This commitment is underpinned by a duty to provide school meals that meet strict nutritional requirements, including encouraging the use of fresh, local and sustainable produce.

The change strengthens the Scottish Government and Local Government efforts to improve diet, halve childhood obesity by 2030 and strengthen children and young people’s healthy eating habits.

School food regulations will be amended to ensure:

• a minimum of two full portions of vegetables and a full portion of fruit are offered as part of a school lunch, with full portions of fruit and or vegetables also available in, for example, tuck shops
• a maximum amount of red and processed red meat provision –  such as bacon, ham and pepperoni – in school lunches to help reduce exposure to nitrites
• removal of fruit juice and smoothies from primary and secondary schools to help reduce sugar intake

The measures follow advice from a technical working group established in 2017 with representation from NHS Health Scotland, Education Scotland, Food Standards Scotland and others. The Scottish Government accepted all of the recommendations from their report and final recommendations.

The measures also follow an extensive public consultation on school food regulations which took place in 2018. 1,359 responses were received, 1,280 from individuals and 79 from organisations.

The regulations will come into effect by autumn 2020 to allow councils time to plan their menus and supply chains.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said:

“Our school food and drink regulations are now over a decade old. With more than 360,000 meals served a day, schools must follow the latest scientific and dietary advice and encourage young people to choose healthy habits for life.

“Every school lunch will now contain more fruit and vegetables, and where food is served elsewhere in school full portions of fruit and vegetables must be on offer.

“We have set maximum limits for consumption of red processed meat which is linked to an increased risk of cancer. This will also reduce exposure to harmful nitrites.

“And we know that one small carton of fruit juice or smoothie contains more than the entire recommended sugar intake for a primary pupil’s lunch, so these drinks will no longer be served in schools.

“These changes will improve our school food, help tackle childhood obesity and give our children the best start in life.”

How will school meals change?

The guidelines differ between primary and secondary schools. 

Younger children will not be offered any more than 175g of red or red processed meat at school mealtimes over the course of a week. 

Of that, no more than 100g should be red processed meat such as bacon, ham or pepperoni.

In secondary schools, pupils will be offered no more than 230g of red meat – 130g of which can be processed. 

Meanwhile, at least two portions of vegetables and one portion of fruit should form part of every school lunch in all schools. 

In primary schools, a portion is 40g, in high schools, 80g. 

Fruit and vegetables must also be available elsewhere in the school, for example in tuck shops.

Fruit juices and smoothies will be off the menu, as children are encouraged to drink water or milk. No added sugar and lower fat milk drinks such as flavoured and hot chocolate will be permitted.

The volume of alcohol sold per adult in Scotland in 2018 has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1994.

The first expert analysis of data, just over a year since Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing, shows a 3% fall in alcohol sales per adult in Scotland from the previous year.

The Scottish Government estimates that if trends continue its minimum unit pricing (MUP) strategy will save 392 lives over its first five years.

Results of the NHS Health Scotland Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) programme found that the volume of alcohol sold per adult in Scotland was 9% higher than in England and Wales, where 9.1 litres was sold per adult.

The 2019 MESAS (Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy) report also said:

• The average Scottish adult bought 19 units of alcohol per week (The UK recommended limit was 14 units a week for men and women). 
• The annual volume of "pure alcohol" in drinks sold in Scotland was 9.9 litres per adult, down about 3% from 10.2 litres in 2017. 
• The volume of pure alcohol sold in Scotland in 2018 was 9% higher than in England & Wales, the smallest difference since 2003. 
• 87% of the total difference in per adult sales between Scotland and England & Wales was due to higher off-trade sales in Scotland. 
• 73% of all alcohol sold in Scotland was sold through the off-trade (supermarkets and other off-licences) compared with 27% sold through the on-trade (such as pubs, clubs and restaurants). 
• In 2017, 1,120 people died in Scotland due to a cause wholly attributable to alcohol (alcohol-specific), an average of 22 people per week. 

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:

“This is a promising start following our world-leading action to introduce minimum unit pricing, and with this 3% fall we are moving in the right direction.

“There are, on average, 22 alcohol-specific deaths every week in Scotland, and 683 hospital admissions, and behind every one of these statistics is a person, a family, and a community badly affected by alcohol harm.

“Given the clear and proven link between consumption and harm, minimum unit pricing is the most effective and efficient way to tackle the cheap, high strength alcohol that causes so much harm to so many families.”

On 1 May 2018 Scotland brought into force legislation setting a minimum 50 pence per unit price to tackle the harm caused by cheap, high strength alcohol.

A multi-agency investigation is being carried out into cases of listeria infection in nine seriously ill hospital patients in England, five of whom have sadly died.  No infections have been found in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

On 14 June, Public Health England (PHE) announced the number of deaths related to pre-packed sandwiches and salads at hospitals had risen from three to five. It also announced the number of confirmed cases had risen from six to nine.

The additional cases were identified after PHE analysed previously known cases of listeria from the past two months to see if they were linked to this outbreak using Whole Genome Sequencing analysis.

PHE had initially announced on 7 June, six confirmed cases of listeria which two patients from Manchester Royal Infirmary and one at Aintree Hospital had died.

Evidence suggests that all individuals ate the affected products before the withdrawal took place in hospitals on the 25 May 2019.

The source of the outbreak has been linked to Staffordshire sandwich producer The Good Food Chain which has now voluntarily ceased production while investigations continue. 

Affected sandwiches and salads were also withdrawn from hospitals when the link to listeria infections were first identified.

The Good Food Chain was supplied with meat from North Country Cooked Meats, which subsequently produced a positive test result for the outbreak strain of listeria has also voluntarily ceased production.  Their distributor North Country Quality Foods have also voluntarily ceased production.

Dr Nick Phin, Public Health England, said:

“To date, there have been no patients linked to this incident outside healthcare organisations, but we continue to investigate. Swift action was taken to protect patients and any risk to the public is low. PHE is continuing to analyse all recent and ongoing samples of listeria from hospital patients to understand whether their illness is linked to this outbreak.”

Listeria has such a long incubation period and can withstand cold temperatures such as refrigeration and even freezing.

Public Health England, The Food Standards Agency, Public Health Wales, Food Standards Scotland, Health Protection Scotland and a number of local authorities are investigating the outbreak.

With less than a year to go until the establishment of Public Health Scotland, Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman has confirmed the appointment of Professor Jim McGoldrick, as Shadow Chair of Public Health Scotland.

Professor McGoldrick is current Convenor of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and a Board Member of the Care Inspectorate. He is also a Member of the Disability and Carer Benefits Expert Advisory Group.

As Shadow Chair, Jim will have an important role in laying the foundations of the new organisation and establishing the leadership required to create a body equipped to tackle Scotland future public health challenges. Professor McGoldrick said:

‘’I am delighted to be given the opportunity to play a role in the establishment of Public Health Scotland. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to communities the length and breadth of Scotland. Realising the potential of the new organisation and the wider public health workforce to lead a renewed effort across national and local government, public services and the third sector to improve health and wellbeing is exciting and challenging in equal measure but one I am looking forward to’’

Jim has extensive experience of the NHS and wider public sector as Chairman of the Fife NHS Board and Vice Chair of the Fife Community Planning Partnership Board until the end of April 2013. He served as a member of the Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care and worked in Education as a Member of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council from July 2001 until its merger with the Further Education Funding Council in October 2005.

Jim will take up the role of Shadow Chair from 1 July 2019 on a transitional basis to allow recruitment for a permanent Chair to be completed. As Shadow Chair, Jim will oversee the establishment of the organisation and appointment of the shadow board and senior management team in advance of Public Health Scotland becoming fully operational on the 1st April 2020.