Keir Starmer urged to 'engage' with Scotland over Gaza children
In a statement to the PA news agency, Mr Swinney said: 'It is deeply saddening that so far the UK Government has refused to even enter into a dialogue about medical evacuations for children in [[Gaza]] who, without proper medical attention, will be left to die.
'That is the frank reality of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment and blockade.
'The healthcare system in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse, with surgeons working day and night under artillery fire, with inadequate supplies and often no electricity.
'We know that many hospitals have been targeted and decimated by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces).'
The First Minister added that Scotland is prepared 'to do what is required to save the lives of as many of these kids as we can'.
His initial call came after a meeting with children's charity Unicef, prompting him to declare a 'race against time' to help children in need of urgent medical care.
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'But we can't do so without the support of the Labour Government to get the children through the UK visa system and into Scotland,' he said.
'The suffering, torment and killing of the people of Gaza has gone on for far too long.
'I urge the Prime Minister to urgently engage with the Scottish Government on this issue so we can save as many young lives as we can.'
A spokeswoman for the UK Government said: 'Since the start of the conflict, UK support has provided essential healthcare to over 430,000 people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
'We have helped several children with complex paediatric conditions access privately funded medical care in the UK, supporting an initiative by Project Pure Hope.
'We have been clear the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that there must be an immediate ceasefire.
'We urge Israel to let vital humanitarian aid in and allow Gazans to receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment.'
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43 minutes ago
- ITV News
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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
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Chris Packham backs call for delayed report into autistic deaths to be published
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Sunday Post
an hour ago
- Sunday Post
Medics and charities back survivors' plea for ban on sunbeds
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Doctors, cancer patients and charities are calling for a ban on sunbeds because of their link to potentially fatal skin cancer. They are appealing to the Scottish and UK Governments to follow Australia, Brazil, and now Ireland, in moving to outlaw them in a bid to tackle rising numbers of patients with malignant melanoma. The medics and medical charities cite the burden skin cancer places on patients and the NHS. The plea for a ban follows recent moves by the Irish government to investigate ways of banning commercial sunbeds. 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He points to the British Photodermatology Group (BPG) call for a complete ban on commercial sunbeds in the UK to reduce skin cancer and eye disease. Sunbeds also increase the risk of eye cancers, especially in those starting sunbed use before 20, research reports. Dr Ferguson, a BPG committee member, said: 'The evidence linking sunbed use to melanoma is considerable and presents a heavy toll on patients and health care cost. 'Telling a patient they have stage four melanoma is one of the most difficult tasks I have as a dermatologist. 'It is time we banned sunbeds because of the considerable risk to skin cancer.' Its statement calling for a ban says: 'Early sunbed use is associated with the highest increase in skin cancer risk. 'Sunbed use is addictive and associated with smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and other unhealthy behaviours.' Some 16 years have passed since the World Health Organisation's cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified ultraviolet light emitted from tanning beds as carcinogenic. Charity SKCIN has joined the call for a ban, denouncing current sunbed regulation which limits use to over-18s. 'Sunbed regulations are outdated, ineffective and not being adhered to – with an alarming percentage of under-18s regularly using them,' it says. 'Underage usage is rapidly increasing and fuelled by tanning trends and misinformation, influencing millions of children on social media daily. 'With melanoma rising faster than any other cancer in Britain and one of the biggest lethal malignancies in the 15-34 age group.' So what would the savings be to the NHS in skin cancer treatment? Manchester University scientists say that even at a conservative estimate, a ban along with a public information campaign, would prevent over 200 deaths among 18-year-olds in England alone. More importantly, over 1,000 young people would be spared melanoma and 200 lives would be saved. Gilly Perkins, general manager of The Sunbed Association, said: 'It is chronic over-exposure to the UV light that may increase the risk of skin cancers, mainly non-melanoma skin cancers. For melanoma, intermittent sun exposure and sunburn increase the risk. A sunbed session taken in a professional salon is a controlled, regular dose of UV without burning.' She added: 'UV exposure carries risk if abused – whether from a sunbed, beach holiday, or a garden lounger. But professional tanning salons operate under strict safety regulations designed to minimise those risks. We promote moderation, non-burning exposure, staff training, customer screening and education.' She argued UV exposure benefits cardiovascular health, and modern sunbeds are safer than older ones. 'For many sunbed users, it's not about ignoring risk – it's about managing it.' The Scottish Government said: 'We continue to monitor the effect of sunbed use and advise anyone using them to consider the risks of doing so.' 'I want to see them banned in Scotland. No one deserves to live like this' © Andrew Cawley Claire Gibson, 40, from Edinburgh, has endured years of cancer surgery and scans for a melanoma skin cancer after occasionally using sunbeds as a teenager. Areas of tissue have been removed from her right arm in doctors' latest attempt to save her. She is adamant that she wants to see the government ban commercial sunbeds to spare others the trauma, treatment and continual worry of cancer. The management and systems accountant at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: 'I wish I had never gone near a sunbed but like many teenagers, I thought I would look better with a tan. 'It is now my dearest wish to see them banned in Scotland and the rest of the UK because no one deserves to live like this. 'It is deeply concerning to know that melanoma is now among the most common cancers in teenagers and young adults.' She is waiting for her latest biopsy results after yet more surgery to remove tissue from a suspicious mole on her right arm. 'My treatment to date has been a wide local incision (removal) to remove any surrounding cells and a sentinel lymph node biopsy to check that the melanoma has not extended further. 'Fortunately, it has not.' She says that she is dismayed when she sees high-street sunbed salons promoting sunbeds as healthy. 'My heart sinks when their adverts describe them as having 'health benefits'. 'I pass one on the way to work and wonder how they can possibly proclaim this when I and others have had malignant melanoma. 'I am trying to survive and hugely grateful for the vigilance of my doctors. 'I want everyone to know that melanoma is a real and serious consequence of using sunbeds. 'People who start using sunbeds before 35 have a 75% increased risk of that serious cancer.' Melanoma victim: No tan is worth dying for It was the death of a young journalist at the age of 26 from melanoma which sparked a national campaign for a ban on sunbeds in Australia. Clare Oliver's slogan, 'No Tan Is Worth Dying For', drove legislation through the Australian Parliament in 2016. She campaigned tirelessly, even on her deathbed in 2007, as she forced the Australian government to ban sunbeds and prevent them from killing anyone else. In her last days, Clare wept as she said: 'Don't follow the fad for a tan – look at me and choose life. I don't want to die at 26.' Her wish to see sunbeds banned was supported by leading Australian and global cancer scientist Professor Craig Sinclair. He says banning sunbeds would reduce deaths and costs to the NHS. 'If Scotland banned sunbeds, it would undoubtedly save lives and significantly reduce health care costs caused by skin cancer,' he said. 'Sunbeds, like tobacco, when used as directed significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.' He also dismissed the argument that sunbed shops would go out of business. 'The Australian experience of banning sunbeds more than a decade ago showed sunbed operators quickly reorientated their businesses to other cosmetic services and consumers moved to safer forms of skin treatments such as fake tanning and spray tans.' Scots GP Dr Michael Mrozinski, now working in the Australian bush, says he has treated skin cancer patients who used sunbeds before the ban. 'I worked in a skin cancer clinic in Melbourne for four years and sun damage from people who tan from the sun and used sunbeds is considerable,' he said. 'A sunbed is just a more concentrated form of UV and I hate having to give a skin cancer diagnosis to people as many don't realise how serious it is.'
