logo
Stafford Centre – still facing massive cuts to funding

Stafford Centre – still facing massive cuts to funding

As The Stafford Centre on Broughton Street faces cuts of their core funding, Miles Briggs, MSP, visited the centre which provides mental health care.
The home of Change Mental Health is just one of those third sector bodies which is threatened with a massive cut in funding by the Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB).
Along with others affected Mr Briggs warned earlier this year that the cuts, proposed to save £60m+ by the EIJB, could make Edinburgh the only city in Western Europe without third sector community mental health provision.
The MSP has written to both the Chief Officer of the EIJB and the First Minister, as well as raising the issue in parliament on several occasions.
Last month Miles Briggs attended a public meeting hosted by the Thrive Collective to discuss the impact of the cuts with providers and users of mental health services. The Thrive Collective provides community mental health services through charities such asChange Mental Health.
Nick Ward, CEO of Change Mental Health, has strongly criticised the approach taken by the EIJB, highlighting the flaws in both the economic and clinical rationale behind the cuts.
The City of Edinburgh Council announced £3 million of emergency funding in May for third sector services facing cuts. Change Mental Health did not feature on the list of 46 organisations which will receive this support.
Mr Briggs has previously said that the funding formula used to allocate money to NHS boards, NRAC, was not fair to the Lothian region. NHS Lothian has consistently received less funding each year than population growth would require, according to the government's own funding formula (NRAC).
He pointed out that the shortfall for 2024/25 is more than £10m, exacerbating a £150m shortfall over the last ten years.
Lothian has the fastest growing population in Scotland, currently circa 916,000, and will represent 84% of Scotland's predicted population growth over the period to 2033. However, its funding remains at -0.6% below NRAC parity.
Miles Briggs said: 'I'd like to thank the Change Mental Health team for inviting me to the Stafford Centre. It was fantastic to meet all the staff and chat to some of the users of this amazing service.
'This space means a lot to the people who come here. I share their concern that the support available here could be taken away from them by the proposed cuts to Edinburgh's third sector.
'These cuts have significantly distressed some of the most vulnerable people in our city and, if taken forward, could result in Edinburgh being one of the only western European cities without third-sector community mental health provision. That would be totally unacceptable.
'I have repeatedly asked the SNP and the EIJB to rethink their strategy, and I urge the First Minister to engage with my request for cross party communication on this matter.'
The EIJB meets in August under its new Chair Cllr Tim Pogson. The decision about cuts was postponed at the last meeting under previous chair Katarina Kasper.
Our video below was filmed at the public meeting on 26 May when it was still believed the EIJB would decide what to do on 17 June.
Like this:
Like
Related
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows
The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows

NBC News

time5 hours ago

  • NBC News

The US fertility rate reached a new low in 2024, CDC data shows

The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows. The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all. The new statistic is on par with fertility rates in western European countries, according to World Bank data. Alarmed by recent drops, the Trump administration has taken steps to increase falling birth rates, like issuing an executive order meant to expand access to and reduce costs of in vitro fertilization and backing the idea of 'baby bonuses' that might encourage more couples to have kids. But there's no reason to be alarmed, according to Leslie Root, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher focused on fertility and population policy. 'We're seeing this as part of an ongoing process of fertility delay. We know that the U.S. population is still growing, and we still have a natural increase — more births than deaths,' she said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the statistic for the total fertility rate with updated birth data for 2024. In the early 1960s, the U.S. total fertility rate was around 3.5, but plummeted to 1.7 by 1976 after the Baby Boom ended. It gradually rose to 2.1 in 2007 before falling again, aside from a 2014 uptick. The rate in 2023 was 1.621, and inched down in 2024 to 1.599, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Birth rates are generally declining for women in most age groups — and that doesn't seem likely to change in the near future, said Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina. People are marrying later and also worried about their ability to have the money, health insurance and other resources needed to raise children in a stable environment. 'Worry is not a good moment to have kids,' and that's why birth rates in most age groups are not improving, she said. Asked about birth-promoting measures outlined by the Trump administration, Guzzo said they don't tackle larger needs like parental leave and affordable child care. 'The things that they are doing are really symbolic and not likely to budge things for real Americans,' she said. Increase in births in new data The CDC's new report, which is based on a more complete review of birth certificates than provisional data released earlier this year, also showed a 1% increase in births — about 33,000 more — last year compared to the prior year. That brought the yearly national total to just over 3.6 million babies born. But this is different: The provisional data indicated birth rate increases last year for women in their late 20s and 30s. However, the new report found birth rate declines for women in their 20s and early 30s, and no change for women in their late 30s. What happened? CDC officials said it was due to recalculations stemming from a change in the U.S. Census population estimates used to compute the birth rate. That's plausible, Root said. As the total population of women of childbearing age grew due to immigration, it offset small increases in births to women in those age groups, she said.

Coca-Cola will launch version with U.S. cane sugar after Trump push
Coca-Cola will launch version with U.S. cane sugar after Trump push

NBC News

time2 days ago

  • NBC News

Coca-Cola will launch version with U.S. cane sugar after Trump push

The Coca-Cola Company said Tuesday that it will launch a version of its signature drink made with U.S. cane sugar. The announcement comes days after President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had "been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so." Initially, Coca-Cola did not confirm the news. The company told NBC News last week that it appreciated Trump's "enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand" but that " be shared soon." The company said in its earnings release Tuesday morning that a version of the drink with cane sugar was indeed coming later this year. "As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range," its news release said. Coca-Cola produced for the U.S. market is typically sweetened with corn syrup, while the company uses cane sugar in some other countries, including Mexico and various European countries. In the United States, Coca-Cola made with cane sugar is colloquially known as "Mexican Coke." The Coke made with U.S. cane sugar will complement the company's existing product line, the company added. Last wee,k Trump said "this will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!" The Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative, named for the social movement aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has pushed food companies to alter their formulations to remove ingredients like artificial dyes. While taste preferences may differ, the health impact of cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup is essentially the same. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, said that 'both high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar are about 50% fructose, 50% glucose, and have identical metabolic effects." That is, both can equally raise the risk for obesity, diabetes, and high triglycerides and blood pressure. Both provide the same number of calories, but the body processes them differently.

A genetic test could predict the odds of obesity, allowing for early interventions
A genetic test could predict the odds of obesity, allowing for early interventions

NBC News

time3 days ago

  • NBC News

A genetic test could predict the odds of obesity, allowing for early interventions

A genetic test may one day predict a child's risk of obesity in adulthood, paving the way for early interventions. Certain genetic variants can affect how a person's body stores fat or make them more prone to overeating. Genetic variation can also predict how well a person will respond to different weight loss drugs. In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, more than 600 researchers from around the world worked together to compile genetic data from more than 5 million people — the largest and most diverse genetic dataset to date. They also used genetic data from 23andMe. From the dataset, the researchers were able to create what's known as a polygenic risk score, which takes into account which genetic variants a person has that have been linked to a higher BMI in adulthood. The score, the researchers said, could be used to predict a person's risk of obesity as an adult — before they even turn 5. 'Childhood is the best time to intervene,' said study co-author Ruth Loos, a professor at the University of Copenhagen's Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research. (Research conducted at the center is not influenced by drugmaker Novo Nordisk, though some of the study authors had ties to pharmaceutical companies that make weight loss drugs.) The findings come as obesity is rising around the world. Rates of obesity in adults have more than doubled globally since 1990, and adolescent rates have quadrupled, according to the World Health Organization. About 16% of adults worldwide have obesity and the situation is worse in the United States, where more than 40% of adults have obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show. Twice as effective The new test is not the first that predicts a person's risk of obesity, but Loos and her team showed it was about twice as effective as the method doctors currently use to assess their patients. That polygenetic score can account for about 8.5% of a person's risk for having a high BMI as an adult. The new score increased that to about 17.6%, at least in people with European ancestry. 'That's a pretty powerful risk indicator for obesity, but it still leaves open a lot that is unknown,' said Dr. Roy Kim, a pediatric endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic Children's who was not involved with the research. Based on this score, more than 80% of a person's risk for obesity can be explained by other factors, such as where they live, what kinds of foods they have access to, and how much they exercise. The test was not nearly as effective in predicting obesity risk in non-Europeans. It explained about 16% of the risk for having a high BMI in East Asian Americans, but just 2.2% in rural Ugandans. About 70% of people whose data was included in the study were of predominantly European ancestry. About 14% were Hispanic and typically had a mix of ancestries. About 8% were of predominantly East Asian descent and just under 5% were of predominantly African ancestry. These samples were predominantly from African American people, who largely had mixed ancestry. Just 1.5% were of predominantly South Asian ancestry. Loos said the new score is a big step forward, but that it's still a prototype. The next step is to collect more — and more diverse — data on people with African ancestry in particular to improve how well the score works for everyone, not just white people. She said the score could offer one indicator — what high blood pressure is to heart disease, for example — that could help predict a person's risk of developing obesity. 'Obesity is not only about genetics, so genetics alone can never accurately predict obesity,' Loos said. 'For the general obesity that we see all over the world, we need other factors such as lifestyle that need to be part of the predictions.' Genetics play a bigger role in severe obesity, meaning a BMI of more than 40, she added. Still, identifying a person's genetic risk early on in childhood and intervening early with lifestyle coaching could make a big difference, she said. Research has shown that about 55% of children with obesity go on to have obesity in adolescence, and that about 80% of those individuals will have obesity in adulthood. 'Behavioral things are really important,' Kim said. 'Their environment, their access to healthy food, exercise opportunities, even their knowledge about healthy foods all affect a person's obesity risk.' How important are genetics, really? Although studies in identical twins have found that genetics can account for as much as 80% of the reason a person has obesity, lifestyle factors still play a huge role, Kim said. 'Even with the same genetic makeup, people can have different body types,' he said. 'From a very young age in my practice, we educate patients about the importance of eating protein-rich foods, a lot of fruits and vegetables and not too many refined carbs.' Dr. Juliana Simonetti, co-director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at the University of Utah, has been using genetic testing in her adult patients for about five years. She said understanding a person's genes can help doctors better treat weight gain. 'Obesity is not homogeneous. We have different kinds and different presentations,' said Simonetti, who wasn't involved with the new study. Simonetti uses a person's genes to determine if a patient struggles with satiety, or feeling full. 'They eat but do not feel full,' Simonetti said, adding that this is a disorder caused by genetic mutations affecting certain pathways in the body. People who have these mutations 'tend to have higher weight,' she said. But such mutations do not tell the whole genetic story of obesity, Simonetti said. The genes that a person inherits from either parent, even if they are not mutations, also determine how a person's body stores weight or uses energy. Both can play a big role in obesity risk. Genetic testing is also starting to be able to determine how well certain weight loss drugs will work for a person, Simonetti said, but she added this is just the beginning. 'We are talking about three out of 80 mutations that we can treat,' she said. 'We are getting better, and the more data we have, I'm hopeful that we are going to do a better job in being more precise in understanding treatment responses.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store