Latest news with #FreedomofInformationRequests
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Over 2,000 people from Lanarkshire languishing on NHS waiting list to see psychologist
Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 across Scotland are currently on a psychologist waiting list. Over 2,000 people from Lanarkshire are languishing on an NHS waiting list to see a psychologist. Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 across Scotland are currently on a psychologist waiting list. Dr Pavan Srireddy, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: 'While concerning, these figures come as no surprise. The unprecedented demand for services and critical gaps in the mental health workforce is already leading to unacceptably long waits for mental health care and treatment. 'Working on the frontline we see a postcode lottery of specialist mental health services across the country, but our patients deserve so much better than this. 'Alarmingly, waiting times may be even higher because the Scottish Government don't consider the rise in people seeking help for neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism or ADHD.' NHS Lothian had the longest list, with 4,287 patients waiting to be seen. This was followed by Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 3,733 and Tayside on 2,821. Grampian had 2,736 patients waiting, Forth Valley had 2,729 and Lanarkshire had 2,097. Scottish Labour Mental Health spokesperson Paul Sweeney said 'These shocking figures lay bare the true scale of Scotland's mental health crisis and the SNP's woeful failure to deliver the support needed. 'Behind these figures are people who have been failed in their darkest hour by an NHS that is no longer truly free and available at the point of need. 'NHS staff are working tirelessly to keep overstretched mental health services going, but they are being let down by an SNP government more interested in fiddling the figures than fixing the waiting lists. 'Scots needs NHS mental health services that they can count on and we need a change in government to deliver that.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The latest Public Health Scotland data shows that more than 74,000 people started treatment in psychological therapies last year. 'One in two patients are starting treatment within three weeks of referral and there was a significant increase of 7.5 per cent of patients starting treatment in the last quarter. 'This has been made possible by the hard work of our psychology services workforce which has increased by 61.8 per cent in the last decade. 'We want to ensure that all people in Scotland can access the right help, at the right time to support their mental and physical health. 'We continue to work with NHS Boards that are not on track to meet the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral.' *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Over 4,000 people from the Lothians languishing on NHS waiting list to see psychologist
Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 across Scotland are currently on a psychologist waiting list. Over 4,000 people from across the Lothians are languishing on an NHS waiting list to see a psychologist. Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 across Scotland are currently on a psychologist waiting list. Dr Pavan Srireddy, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: 'While concerning, these figures come as no surprise. The unprecedented demand for services and critical gaps in the mental health workforce is already leading to unacceptably long waits for mental health care and treatment. 'Working on the frontline we see a postcode lottery of specialist mental health services across the country, but our patients deserve so much better than this. 'Alarmingly, waiting times may be even higher because the Scottish Government don't consider the rise in people seeking help for neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism or ADHD.' NHS Lothian had the longest list, with 4,287 patients waiting to be seen. This was followed by Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 3,733 and Tayside on 2,821. Grampian had 2,736 patients waiting, Forth Valley had 2,729 and Lanarkshire had 2,097. Scottish Labour Mental Health spokesperson Paul Sweeney said 'These shocking figures lay bare the true scale of Scotland's mental health crisis and the SNP's woeful failure to deliver the support needed. 'Behind these figures are people who have been failed in their darkest hour by an NHS that is no longer truly free and available at the point of need. 'NHS staff are working tirelessly to keep overstretched mental health services going, but they are being let down by an SNP government more interested in fiddling the figures than fixing the waiting lists. 'Scots needs NHS mental health services that they can count on and we need a change in government to deliver that.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The latest Public Health Scotland data shows that more than 74,000 people started treatment in psychological therapies last year. 'One in two patients are starting treatment within three weeks of referral and there was a significant increase of 7.5 per cent of patients starting treatment in the last quarter. 'This has been made possible by the hard work of our psychology services workforce which has increased by 61.8 per cent in the last decade. 'We want to ensure that all people in Scotland can access the right help, at the right time to support their mental and physical health. 'We continue to work with NHS Boards that are not on track to meet the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral.'
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Nearly 23,000 Scots stuck on NHS waiting list to see psychologist
EXCLUSIVE: Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 are currently on a psychologist waiting list - with NHS Lothian having the longest list. Nearly 23,000 Scots are languishing on an NHS waiting list to see a psychologist. Freedom of Information Requests revealed that some 22,880 are currently on a psychologist waiting list. Dr Pavan Srireddy, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: 'While concerning, these figures come as no surprise. The unprecedented demand for services and critical gaps in the mental health workforce is already leading to unacceptably long waits for mental health care and treatment. 'Working on the frontline we see a postcode lottery of specialist mental health services across the country, but our patients deserve so much better than this. 'Alarmingly, waiting times may be even higher because the Scottish Government don't consider the rise in people seeking help for neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism or ADHD." NHS Lothian had the longest list, with 4,287 patients waiting to be seen. This was followed by Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 3,733 and Tayside on 2,821. Grampian had 2,736 patients waiting, Forth Valley had 2,729 and Lanarkshire had 2,097. The only other health board with more than 1,000 people waiting was NHS Fife, on 1,746. Dr Srireddy continued: 'The situation is only set to get worse if there is no action. Targets are missed but what we need is ringfenced funding and resources ploughed in at local level. 'We also urgently need a strategy to not just recruit more psychiatrists, but to retain our experienced doctors who sadly face excessive workloads, stress and burnout due to staff shortages leading them to leave permanent roles. 'Above all, we need ring-fenced mental health funding to reach the government's own 10% budget commitment and ensure adequate resources are put in place urgently, for recruitment and retention.' Campaigner Peter Todd - who waited five years for mental health treatment - said: "Many of our leaders have no idea much patient's lives are affected by waiting years for psychological treatment because they have no sense of what goes on in the real world. "No doubt we will here covid being used as an excuse. But that doesn't wash because I was forced to wait 5 years back in 2018 due to being a victim of the MP Cyril Smith scandal which I gave evidence at the Historical Abuse Inquiry about. "I look forward to John Swinney campaigning in Caithness in the run up to the Holyrood election, so he can hear my experience and how my Iife was ripped apart because of his parties inept running of mental health services which forced me to wait five years." Scottish Labour Mental Health spokesperson Paul Sweeney said 'These shocking figures lay bare the true scale of Scotland's mental health crisis and the SNP's woeful failure to deliver the support needed. 'Behind these figures are people who have been failed in their darkest hour by an NHS that is no longer truly free and available at the point of need. ' NHS staff are working tirelessly to keep overstretched mental health services going, but they are being let down by an SNP government more interested in fiddling the figures than fixing the waiting lists. 'Scots needs NHS mental health services that they can count on and we need a change in government to deliver that.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The latest Public Health Scotland data shows that more than 74,000 people started treatment in psychological therapies last year. 'One in two patients are starting treatment within three weeks of referral and there was a significant increase of 7.5% of patients starting treatment in the last quarter. 'This has been made possible by the hard work of our psychology services workforce which has increased by 61.8% in the last decade. 'We want to ensure that all people in Scotland can access the right help, at the right time to support their mental and physical health. We continue to work with NHS Boards that are not on track to meet the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Questions swirl as Tesla nears Austin launch day for high stakes driverless robotaxi launch
As soon as one week from today, the first driverless Tesla robotaxis could begin zipping passengers through the streets of Austin—a critical moment for the electric carmaker and its mercurial boss, Elon Musk, who has vowed that Tesla's transformation into an autonomous car company will begin in June with the launch of a commercial robotaxi service in Austin. Tesla has been rushing to get everything in order for its ambitious launch: beginning to test the robotaxis with safety drivers in Austin, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, just a few weeks ago—and, more recently—hosting initial meetings and overviews with Texas agencies and Austin city departments to brief them on some of the details. But key groups—including Austin's transportation department, Austin's emergency first responders, and federal regulators—are still missing important information about the self-driving machines set to imminently hit the roads of the Texas capital. Tesla hasn't hosted trainings with Austin emergency responders. It hasn't specified what level of autonomy Tesla cars will be using at launch (the industry's 5-point scale entails everything from cars that require constant human supervision to vehicles with no steering wheels). And, as of last week, Tesla still hadn't shared first responder plans or guides that the Austin Fire Department and Austin transportation department ask self-driving car companies for and rely on when responding to safety episodes, the departments told Fortune. 'We have not yet received First Responder guides from Tesla,' a spokesman for the Austin transportation department told Fortune in an email Wednesday. The fire department 'has not received a guide either,' a department spokeswoman said. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla has assured city employees that those guidebooks are coming, however. And its robotaxi engineering teams have been in regular communication with the City since last year, according to emails obtained by Fortune via Freedom of Information Requests. On Monday, Tesla conducted live testing with several members of Austin's autonomous vehicle working group, driving one of its robotaxi cars alongside emergency vehicles on a closed neighborhood street. At the event, Tesla laid out some of their preliminary plans for the launch, according to Andre Jordan, division chief of special operations and homeland security for the Austin Fire Department, who was present. Hands-on training sessions and detailed guidebooks for first responders are coming, Jordan says he's been assured by Tesla. 'That is something that they've been working on and they want to deliver, as well as the first responder training,' Jordan tells Fortune. 'I believe them,' he added, saying that the company has been transparent with them and willing to collaborate. 'I don't know if they've met all their timelines, but they have done what they said they would do.' Robotaxi services like Waymo, Zoox, and the now-defunct Cruise always conduct trainings and briefings with city employees in the weeks or months before they launch in new markets, and they provide guides—dozens of pages long—to emergency responders that explain how to interact with their vehicles and how to work together in case of safety episodes or instances in which their vehicles get stuck. Zoox said it hosts trainings with local first responders before it even begins testing in a new market—and that the company is in contact with city officials and first responders before it begins mapping. Similarly, Alphabet-owned Waymo, which is already operating in Austin, says it tries to reach out to city employees not just before launch, but before their cars arrive in a new city to map roads or to start testing, and that it provides emergency guides, protocols, and videos as part of its initial outreach. One factor giving Jordan some comfort with Tesla's fast-approaching launch is that Tesla's robotaxi is essentially the same Model Y car that's already out on the roads and familiar to first responders. Robotaxis made by other companies, by contrast, are unique designs with large sensors sitting on the roof, and which have required more getting used to, Jordan said. Unlike its rivals, Tesla's self-driving technology doesn't require detailed maps of local roads, relying solely on the car's video cameras and its AI technology—an approach that means Tesla may not necessarily need to spend as much time in a city ahead of launch (though it's worth noting that the safety and performance of Tesla's map-free approach for self-driving robotaxis is still unproven compared to services like Waymo). Jordan noted that Tesla has made four modifications to its launch plans—adding specific guardrails or risk mitigations to the service—that have made the Fire Department feel more comfortable, though he repeatedly declined to specify what they were, saying that they were 'preliminary' and that it was Tesla's 'business information.' 'We had initially thought that that launch date was especially optimistic, but I don't know if that's the case anymore,' Jordan says. 'So I don't know. I'm kind of guessing along with everybody else, but the details that they have shared were reassuring.' Austin is one of several U.S. cities, including Phoenix and San Francisco, where self-driving cars are being tested or have been made available as commercial robotaxi services. Waymo's autonomous Jaguar I-PACE cars have been ferrying paying customers around San Francisco since August 2023, and are now doing rides or testing in Austin, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Miami, and other cities. Companies like Zoox, owned by Amazon, and Nuro have all been running pilot programs in various cities around the country. Many companies have set limits as they roll out service or tests—setting up boundaries where vehicles can drive (restricting highway travel, for example), having employees ride in the passenger or back seat, or limiting which customers can use the service, such as family and friends only. In choosing Austin for its robotaxi debut, Tesla has selected a location with looser regulatory requirements than California cities like San Francisco. While Tesla has assured city employees that it plans to share more information in advance of launch, the Transportation and Public Works spokesman pointed out that the city cannot require Tesla to provide it in advance of launch, as it doesn't have enforcement authority under Texas law. Tesla's Austin launch is the first phase of a bold robotaxi plan that involves specially designed 'cybercabs' with no manual controls. Those vehicles aren't expected to go into production until at least next year, however, and Tesla has said the robotaxis coming to Austin will be slightly modified versions of the Model Y cars the company sells to customers. While Tesla currently offers a 'full self-driving' option in the vehicles it sells in the U.S., the technology is 'Level 2,' which is closer to driver assistance than actual autonomous driving, as a driver is required to be fully alert and be prepared to take over the vehicle at all times. Musk has offered few details about its robotaxi and the level of advancement of its software versus that of Tesla FSD that is already available. During Tesla's most recent earnings call, he pointed out that there will initially be between 10 to 20 Model Y robotaxis in circulation in Austin on 'day one' and that Tesla plans to use a remote support team to help out if the cars get stuck. He has also said that the cars will have built-in audio sensing capabilities, allowing it to hear sirens and other sounds. But with just weeks to go until the launch, it's not clear what the technical classification of the cars will be. Under industry-wide autonomy classifications, only cars with 'Level 4' and 'Level 5' technology are capable of operating without a human behind the wheel. (Waymo's customized Jaguars, for example, are Level 4) When asked by Fortune whether the system Tesla is already testing is Level 2, Level 3, or Level 4 autonomy, the transportation department spokesman said the city wasn't sure. While Tesla had communicated with the department that it had begun testing, 'we do not know the details of the testing,' he said. Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a letter to Tesla, demanding information about what level system Tesla is deploying and around whether Tesla's 'robotaxi system has achieved acceptably safe behavioral competency.' NHTSA also reminded Tesla about the agency's ongoing investigation into collisions involving Tesla's FSD software. Tesla has until mid-June to respond. Curiously, some of the recent information Tesla has shared with regulators in California—where the company is also conducting initial testing of a robotaxi service with safety drivers—suggests its technology may still require a human safety driver. In an email to the California Public Utilities Commission on April 16, Tesla shared a notice it had sent out to employees that described the full self-driving (FSD) system it is using in California robotaxi tests as a 'Level 2' system. 'The FSD system in use is an SAE Level 2 system that enforces driver attention, with system limits and can be disengaged via the traditional steering/braking/button methods,' reads the Tesla email, which was sent out to Bay Area employees just last month. Whether that description is an indication of Tesla's actual technology or simply a way for the company to tick off a regulatory checkbox is not clear. Because Tesla doesn't have the permits needed by California regulators to test a Level 3 system in the state, it's possible that Tesla is under-selling the capabilities of its FSD system in order to stay compliant. (Under industry-wide autonomy classifications, companies are expected to self-certify their technology based on the production design and intent of the technology—not how it is being tested, according to SAE International.) 'They're going to be as conservative as possible in the way they speak about this,' says Richard Bishop, an autonomous consultant who publishes an annual report on robotaxis.' Tesla's notice to the California regulator therefore might not be 'a good indication of what reality is in terms of capability.' By promising to launch the robotaxi service in June, Musk has created a self-imposed deadline that has become a focal point for the company's investors. The launch is especially important for Tesla, whose stock is down roughly 16% this year, as sales of its vehicles have fallen in the U.S., China, and Europe following Musk's controversial role in the Trump White House. And tariffs are threatening to impact about a quarter of Tesla's U.S. fleet. 'We believe the vast majority of valuation upside looking ahead for Tesla is centered around the success of its autonomous vision taking hold with a key June launch in Austin the beginning of this next era of growth for Musk and Tesla,' Dan Ives, a Wedbush analyst who has covered Tesla for more than a decade, wrote Friday in a note to investors. That said, Tesla has a history of missing deadlines Musk lays out for the company. In 2019, Musk said that Tesla would have 1 million robotaxis out on the roads by 2020. In 2022, he said production of robotaxis with no steering wheels would have started in 2024. This story was originally featured on
STV News
24-05-2025
- General
- STV News
Memorial held for 45 babies secretly buried in mass unmarked grave
Last year, an ITV News investigation found there are hundreds of mass unmarked graves of babies in cemeteries across England, from Newcastle to Hampshire. By ITV News Social Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker and Senior Producer Lottie Kilraine This report contains strong language and distressing content Survivors of Britain's forced adoption scandal have gathered in Cumbria to remember children who died in church run institutions and were buried in mass unmarked graves. It comes after an ITV News investigation last year discovered that 45 babies had died at a former Church of England home for unmarried mothers and were buried in secret in a mass unmarked grave in Kendal. The Bishop of Carlisle Rev Rob Saner-Haigh unveiled a memorial garden at Parkside Cemetery and described St Monica's mother and baby home as a place of 'pain, rejection and heartache'. Speaking at the ceremony held on Friday, he said: 'This is a place for those who have lost their children and loved ones. [St Monica's] should have been sanctuary … but for many it became a place of pain, rejection and heartache. They were not treated well by the church and I am truly sorry for that.' If you or anyone you know has been affected by this issue or has a story to share, you can get in touch by emailing: socialaffairs@ The Bishop of Carlisle Rev Rob Saner-Haigh unveiled a memorial garden at Parkside Cemetery in Kendal, Cumbria. / Credit: ITV News St Monica's in Kendal was run by the Diocese of Carlisle from 1917 until its closure in 1970. Stephen Hindley, who has been campaigning for justice for nearly two decades for his wife Judith and her son, also called Stephen, said the memorial has given them 'the dignity they so richly deserve'. In post-war Britain an estimated 250,000 women were sent away to institutions run by religious organisations and the state where they were pressured and coerced to put their babies up for adoption. Other infants died due to mistreatment or poor care. Mr Hindley told ITV News: 'Judith was 17 at the time and she told me she was forced to clean floors and kitchens while heavily pregnant. They were being punished.' Stephen was born in 1964 with disabilities, but he was 'cruelly denied proper medical care and died 11 weeks later', Mr Hindley said. Judith never recovered from that trauma and in 2006 took her own life close to the cemetery where her baby is buried. Last year, an ITV News investigation found there are hundreds of mass unmarked graves of babies in cemeteries across England, from Newcastle to Hampshire. Stephen Hindley has been campaigning for justice for nearly two decades for his wife Judith. / Credit: ITV News / Supplied Burial records obtained by ITV News through a series of Freedom of Information Requests found graves connected to eight institutions for unmarried mothers. Records show that 67 infants died at a Salvation Army home in Newcastle, called Hopedene, and are buried in unmarked graves in four different cemeteries. The majority of the graves were connected to Church of England affiliated institutions. There are 11 unmarked graves from St Saviour's in Northampton, 21 from Putnam House in Aylesbury, and two connected to Sunnedon House Maternity Home in Brentwood, Essex. St Pelagia's Home, Highgate, London, pictured in the 1920's. / Credit: ITV News/History in Pictures There are 36 unmarked graves of babies born at the Winchester Diocesan Maternity Home. Following our report, the Diocese issued this appeal for information. Records for two Catholic church-run homes showed there are 21 unmarked graves of babies who died at the Sacred Heart Maternity Home in Kendal. At St Pelagia's, in Highgate, North London, 37 infants died. They are buried at Islington and St Pancras Cemetery in unmarked plots. The records don't say how the babies died, but experts have told ITV News that infant mortality rates were high within these institutions because 'mothers and babies were treated like second class citizens and were cut off from the rest of the health and social care system'. Bob and Carole Chubb only discovered the 'heartbreaking truth' of what happened to Bob's baby sister Faith after they watched a report on ITV News Other families, like Bob and Carole Chubb, only found out the truth about their loved ones after watching an ITV News report. Mr Chubb's sister Faith is among the 45 babies at Parkside Cemetery. His mother Norah Everard was in her 80s and dying from cancer when she first told him about the trauma she'd endured decades earlier as a teenager in 1941. Pregnant and unmarried, Norah, who was from Barrow-in-Furness, was sent away to St Monica's in Kendal where she was later told that her baby daughter Faith had been stillborn. Burial records seen by ITV News suggest that Norah was lied to and show that Faith had lived for 12 hours and was buried without the family's knowledge in a mass grave in Kendal. Mr Chubb said Friday's memorial was an 'important recognition that Faith existed'. 'I'd like to think my mother would be proud of what we've done,' he added. 'She carried this secret with her for all those years.' Cumbria Police confirmed it had investigated allegations of historic abuse and said it 'would welcome any new information which would assist officers … following concerns raised in relation to these premises'. Earlier this month a public event in Cornwall condemned the treatment of victims of the forced adoption scandal, as campaigners called for an official government apology for the state's role in the 'cruel' practice. This clip contains strong language. Lyn Rodden, 88, recalls the moment her baby son was taken away from her and the 'cruel' treatment she endured at Rosemundy mother and baby home A plaque recognising their suffering was unveiled in the village of St Agnes by Lyn Rodden who was 19 when she was sent to Rosemundy mother and baby home. Ms Rodden, now 88, described the home as a 'slave camp' where they were 'forced to do laundry for the staff and villagers' and scrub the flag stones in the building whilst heavily pregnant. 'It's the cruelest place I've ever been, prison would have better than that, and it's lived with my all my life,' she told ITV News. In 1956 she gave birth to her son Mark but was pressured to give him up for adoption. For 50 years, all she had to remember him by was 'a blurry photo the size of a postage stamp', until Mark tracked her down as an adult. 'All these politicians should be ashamed of themselves,' she said in reference to the government's refusal to issue a formal apology to survivors.' Dr Phil Frampton, who was born in Rosemundy mother and baby home, is calling on the government to apologise to 'help survivors begin to heal' Dr Phil Frampton, who organised the event in Cornwall and was born at the Rosemundy home in 1953, said the plaque offered survivors the 'opportunity to develop a sense of healing'. Dr Frampton spent his childhood in care, describing the mistreatment and racism he faced growing up as 'cruel'. He told ITV News: 'My social services files record someone as saying 'there's no chance of having a mixed race child adopted or fostered in the south of England' … It was a racial issue.' Rosemundy Mother and Baby Home in St Agnes, Cornwall, pictured in the 1950s. / Credit: ITV News / Supplied The unveiling of the plaque in Cornwall was attended by mothers and adult adoptees, some whom had travelled across the country to mark the occasion. Ann Andic, whose son was forcibly adopted in London, described how the service and acknowledgement of the suffering as a 'huge relief'. 'It's like a weight has been lifted, because I know now that I'm not alone, despite what I've been told,' she told ITV News. 'I had to stop myself crying, I felt tears rolling down my face uncontrollably, because it's being acknowledged. 'It's beginning to be known that it happened to so many of us. We were sworn to secrecy, to not even tell anyone we had given birth.' Ann Andic, who travelled from London to Cornwall for the ceremony acknowledging the suffering of survivors of mother and baby homes, said 'a weight has been lifted' The Church of England has previously said that 'we are deeply saddened by any pain and distress experienced by those connected to mother and baby homes.' 'That some children who died in these homes were buried in unmarked graves is a tragedy that raises deeply painful questions for families and communities.' A Government spokesperson said: 'This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected. We take this issue extremely seriously and continue to engage with those impacted to provide support.' If you have been affected by the issues in this report, please visit the links for help and support: Movement for Adoption Apology – provides information on forced and coerced adoption in the UK and around the globe provides information on forced and coerced adoption in the UK and around the globe PAC UK – Specialist therapy, advice, support, counselling and training for all affected by adoption and permanency – Specialist therapy, advice, support, counselling and training for all affected by adoption and permanency The Diocese of Winchester has issued an appeal for information, find out more on their website here Safe Spaces – an independent service offering confidential support to survivors of Church-related abuse on 0300 303 1056 or on their website Samaritans is an organisation offering confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair. 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