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Daily Record
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Vulnerable mental health service user exposes deadly "crisis" in Glasgow system
Marius Samavicius, 33, launched his own investigation after a three-year battle for support, which saw his suicidal thoughts referenced as a 'lovely wee email'. A deadly "crisis" over mental health care in Scotland's biggest city has been exposed by a service user who claims they was denied help in their darkest time. Marius Samavicius launched an investigation after a three-year battle for support in Glasgow, which saw the 33-year-old's suicidal thoughts referenced as a 'lovely wee email'. The artist found almost one in three of the more than 86,000 people seeking help from Glasgow's adult Community Mental Health Teams over the last seven years were rejected for care, while more than 1,100 people died under the service. The data - branded "heartbreaking" by campaigners - revealed just 6% of those accepted for care were referred for psychology over the period, between 2018 and 2024. The figures come amid a backdrop of shattering cuts to other mental health services across the city and show the number of people seeking help was at its highest over the last two years - as were the number of rejections. Marius, whose mental health battle led to them becoming homeless during Covid, said: 'Asking for mental health support takes courage and many stay silent out of fear or shame. 'I was shocked by the sheer number of people who died in care. How many died before seeking help, or after being rejected or discharged? The NHS doesn't publish this data. 'The NHS mental health system isn't broken - it's already collapsed and patients are left under the rubble. 'There's no scan that proves mental illness, so people are often dismissed as dramatic, unstable, or 'not ready' for therapy.' Data released under the Freedom of Information Act shows that 86,226 patients sought help through 10 of the city's adult centres during the period. The figures refer to Shawpark Resource Centre in Maryhill, North east Glasgow's Arran, Auchinlea and Springpark centres, the Arndale and Riverside centres in the North West of the city as well as Brand Street, Florence Street, Rossdale and the Stewart Centre in the south. Nearly one in three people (27,431) were rejected outright for care for various reasons while 9,649 were discharged from care for failing to attend appointments. A total of 1,103 patients died under the care of the service. Across nine of the centres, excluding Shawpark, which could not provide complete data, just 6% (5,310 patients) were allocated to psychology, while 7,135 completed treatment. The longest wait time for treatment hit 81 weeks - 4.5 times longer than Scotland's 18-week target. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Marius demanded answers after his battle for support through Shawpark. A subject access request exposed correspondence in which staff handling a complaint from Marius which referenced suicidal thoughts describe it as a 'lovely wee email' in 2023. Marius said there was no subsequent risk assessment or welfare check. The artist claims they were discharged from the service three times through no fault of their own and were never put on the psychology waiting list. They said: 'When I was finally assessed by Shawpark, I was told that trauma therapy might make me worse. I felt dismissed and written off but charity LGBT Health and Wellbeing responded immediately. They gave me weekly sessions and, despite limited resources, offered around 20 sessions of wellbeing and trauma-focused support.' In March, the Glasgow Integrated Joint Board (IJB) for Health and Social Care services set a budget that included £42 million worth of cuts across a range of services, including lifeline mental health services like counselling, psychotherapy and trauma recovery. Scottish Labour Mental Health spokesperson Paul Sweeney MSP said: 'These heartbreaking figures show the cost of failing to support mental health services. 'Services like this are stretched to breaking point under the SNP, leaving far too many Scots falling through the cracks. 'With thousands of people being turned away from our health service in their hour of need, it's clear the founding principles of our NHS have been compromised.' NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde apologised to Marius for any distress caused but insisted that appropriate treatment was offered. A spokesman said: 'Our staff continue to work tirelessly to meet the increasing demands for psychological therapies and to ensure those who need to support of our teams are seen as quickly as possible. 'In line with the national policy, patients referred to our services will be assessed and if appropriate will be redirected or supported to alternative services. Those who are rejected include patients who are given advice about treatment, referred to other services, or in cases where a referral is inappropriate or incomplete.' The Scottish Government said mental health was an 'absolute priority' and expects its overall spending to be over £1.3 billion for the next year. A spokeswoman said: 'Every death by suicide is a tragedy and our heartfelt sympathies go out to all those affected by suicide. We expect anyone in distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts who presents themselves to NHS or community services to be treated with respect and receive timely access to high quality and safe mental health care, as close to home as possible. 'Whilst one in two people start psychological therapy treatment within three weeks of referral, some people still wait too long, so we will continue to provide enhanced support to those health boards not on track to meet the standard.'
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Audit criticizes Arkansas Board of Corrections' hiring of outside counsel in dispute with governor
Arkansas Board of Corrections member Lee Watson, right, answers questions from the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee on Friday, June 6, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas legislative committee filed a report Friday detailing a requested audit into the Board of Corrections' 2023 hiring of a Little Rock attorney, a move that raised concerns from lawmakers about the board's procurement practices. The nonpartisan Arkansas Legislative Audit began the probe a year ago at the request of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, which heard the report Friday and continued to express frustrations about attorney Abtin Mehdizadegan's contract with the prison board. Mehdizadegan has been representing the Board of Corrections in both its legal challenge against two 2023 state laws and Attorney General Tim Griffin's suit against the board for allegedly violating the Freedom of Information Act in Mehdizadegan's hiring. Griffin's office usually represents state agencies in legal cases, but Arkansas law allows special counsel to be appointed in disputes between the attorney general and constitutional officers. Board member Lee Watson, who was the panel's secretary at the time it began working with Mehdizadegan, reiterated this to the committee Friday. Watson said the circumstances surrounding the board's November 2023 dispute with Griffin, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and then-Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri required special action. The board and the executive branch officials clashed over who has ultimate authority over Arkansas' prison system, including the expansion of facilities. Lawmakers criticize Arkansas Board of Corrections members, attorney over altered contract 'Our governor and our secretary were moving forward with moving prisoners into overcrowded facilities,' Watson said. 'Based upon our collective experience, we believed that that would endanger the people in that facility and the general public nearby.' He repeated past statements to lawmakers that Profiri's and Sanders' actions justified hiring Mehdizadegan after an executive session at a brief meeting in December 2023. The Joint Performance Review Committee spent three April 2024 meetings discussing and questioning Mehdizadegan's hiring and contract, and the panel voted to recommend that the Arkansas Legislative Council not review the contract. The audit report found that Mehdizadegan was present and spoke at several Board of Corrections meetings, but this was not reflected in the meeting minutes. The report also took issue with the board signing 'engagement agreements' with Mehdizadegan 'without establishing how the Board would pay for these services, as the Board has no appropriation or funding.' The engagement agreements also did not include the contract length or cost. Mehdizadegan's relationship with the board began when Watson informally contacted him as the board's legal liaison, Watson previously told lawmakers, but auditors 'were unable to verify' his appointment as liaison until after Mehdizadegan's hiring. Additionally, Mehdizadegan has submitted invoices totaling $230,138 to the board for his legal work, but those invoices were unpaid as of Feb. 11, the report states. Auditors recommended in the report that the Board of Corrections make the following changes: Making all board business public Amending the board's bylaws to include liaison appointments in required public business Including all relevant details in proposed contracts Consulting with state procurement officials before procuring goods or services Making sure all information submitted to state procurement officials is 'complete and accurate' BOC special audit report Mehdizadegan wrote the board's 30-page response to the audit findings, recommending that auditors revise the report 'and find that the Board acted lawfully, reasonably and appropriately in its selection of special counsel.' Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said he was 'disappointed' in the board's response. 'All I was looking for in response was, 'Hey, we were in uncharted territory, we didn't know what we were doing, and you know what? We should have followed the procurement process,'' he said. Mehdizadegan and Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness were present at Friday's committee meeting but did not face questions from lawmakers. Less than a week after being hired, Mehdizadegan filed the board's lawsuit against Sanders, Profiri and then-Secretary of State John Thurston, challenging the constitutionality of Act 185 and Act 659 of 2023. Act 185 requires the secretary of corrections to serve at the pleasure of the governor rather than the board, while Act 659 alters the reporting structure for the directors of the Division of Correction and Division of Community Correction, requiring them to serve at the pleasure of the secretary rather than the board. The board argued the laws violate Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution, which protects the power of constitutional boards like the board of corrections from the executive or legislative branches of government. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James granted a preliminary injunction in January 2024, which Griffin appealed. Arkansas Supreme Court sends AG's FOIA lawsuit against prison board back to circuit court The Arkansas Supreme Court allowed the lawsuit to continue Thursday when it dismissed the state's motion to send the case back to the circuit court, order the preliminary injunction vacated and dismiss the case as moot. The high court also dismissed a motion to disqualify Mehdizadegan from further participation in proceedings before the court. Last month, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court's dismissal of Griffin's suit against the board for allegedly violating the FOIA to hire outside counsel. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox gave Griffin 30 days to work with the corrections board on an agreement with an outside attorney to represent it. Fox dismissed the case without prejudice in January 2024, ruling Griffin's office failed to make an effort to initiate the statutory procedure that allows special counsel to represent state officials and entities. Griffin moved to vacate the circuit court's order, arguing his office could not certify special counsel until the board asked for legal representation. The Supreme Court agreed and sent the case back to Fox. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Trump Administration Just Gutted U.S. Health Institutions
Employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stand in line to enter the Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building on April 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit -Employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) knew that mass layoffs would be coming on April 1. But many did not expect the cuts to be so deep—or the implications of the layoffs to be so potentially detrimental to the health and wellbeing of American families. The layoffs came in many formats: in emails at 5 a.m., in person when employees tried to swipe their badges at the workplace and found they were deactivated, in messages while they waited in line to try to get into their offices, according to current and former employees. HHS first announced a 'dramatic restructuring' on March 27 that would shrink HHS to 62,000 employees from 82,000, including about 10,000 layoffs and about 10,000 people who retired or resigned. In a press release, the department said that it would consolidate 28 divisions into 15 new divisions, calling the reorganization a 'Transformation to Make America Healthy Again.' Included in the April 1 layoffs, according to current and former staff interviewed by TIME, were dozens of members of a division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that oversees the safety of food, including administrative staff, project managers, HR, and communications staff. An entire division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that oversees the cleanliness of cruise ships was apparently let go, as were staff managing the CDC's Freedom of Information Act requests. Staff for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps keep on utilities for struggling families, were eliminated. All regional administrators for the Administration for Community Living, which oversees programs supporting older adults and people with disabilities, were relieved of their duties. Staff of five of the 10 regional offices for the Administration for Children and Families—which oversees programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (commonly known as food stamps)—were laid off. HHS did not return an email and call seeking comment or confirming these cuts. But in the March 27 news release, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that the department was 'reducing bureaucratic sprawl' and that the much smaller department would do more, at a lower cost to the taxpayer. Read More: I'm the Former CEO of Gavi. Here's What's at Risk if Trump Cuts Vaccine Aid High-profile leaders appear to have been targeted. Jeanne Marrazzo, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the successor to Dr. Anthony Fauci, was put on administrative leave, as was Jonathan Mermin, the director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. 'They are eliminating entire teams, offices, divisions—the impact of which is going to leave our nation less prepared to deal with a variety of health challenges,' says Adrian Shanker, who was the deputy assistant secretary for health policy in the Biden Administration. 'The cruelty seems to be the point.' The cuts come as HHS also cancels $11.4 billion COVID-era grants that were providing essential services on a state and local level. Communities are already feeling the effects. Uplift Wisconsin, a call line operated through Mental Health of Wisconsin, will be shut down by April 4 because its COVID-19 grant was canceled, according to reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 'The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,' the department said in late March. In the April 1 layoffs, infectious diseases programs and especially HIV research appear to have been targeted. Prior to staff being laid off, HHS had announced the termination of dozens of grants related to HIV research. 'It's just a massive assault and decimation of HIV prevention—they are really focused on gutting prevention and research,' says Carl Schmid, the executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, who is tracking the layoffs. The cuts affected staff for the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS communications staff, and more, he says. Read More: Dr. Francis Collins Led the NIH. Now, He Fears for the Future of Science Communications staff are especially important as new treatments for HIV/AIDS are released, he says. For example, there is a new version of the HIV drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) coming out, he says, and the communication staff are responsible for making sure that patients and providers know about the new medication. White men may be accessing PrEP, but certain groups of people are not, including transgender people, Black men, and Latino men, he says. 'I anticipate that HIV cases will go up, and this is going to be more costly to our system,' Schmid says. HHS's March 27 memo said that it would reorganize the Administration for Community Living, which oversees programs supporting older adults and people with disabilities. But all regional administrators of the Administration for Community Living, along with the entire staff overseeing grants, were laid off, according to Alison Barkoff, who was the acting administrator of ACL from Jan. 2021 to Oct. 2024. Congress has appropriated money to local and state groups that help seniors and people with disabilities, but there is no staff left to administer it, she says. The Administration for Community Living often helped seniors and people with disabilities live at home and avoid facilities. 'I don't know when they will get this funding, and many of them cannot go for a long time without access to funding and continue to provide these services,' she says. One laid-off worker at the Administration for Community Living is Fay Gordon, a single mother of two who is undergoing breast cancer treatment and who was the Region 9 Administrator. She helped coordinate disaster response for seniors and people with disabilities. 'We are the ones providing care and service so that people can live at home and in their community,' she says. 'The fact that any leadership would not value this lean, cost-effective service is heartbreaking.' It's too early to tell the layoff's impact on food safety, but the FDA was already struggling to create and enforce regulations even before it was gutted, says Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. After the 2022 formula recall, in which infants were hospitalized after drinking tainted powdered formula made from an Abbott Laboratories' plant, the FDA underwent a dramatic reorganization. There is now a unified Human Foods Program that oversees inspections and safety of food. But, Sorscher says, 'this program is so small, there's not a lot of room to make cuts before you lose functioning.' Contact us at letters@
The Hill
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show draws 125 FCC complaints
Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance at Super Bowl LIX drew more than 120 complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with the majority objecting to the rapper's language and some dubbing it 'racist' because 'not one white person' was seen onstage. In total, 125 viewers sent complaints to the FCC in the wake of Lamar's performance last month as the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, according to records obtained this week by The Hill as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. The vast majority of the messages to the FCC took issue with the 37-year-old music star's lyrics and 'provocative dancing' at the big game, which was attended by President Trump. The matchup broke ratings records, with nearly 128 million viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen. 'The halftime show was terrible with the language and gestures. My younger kids did not need to see and hear this!' one viewer from Lenox, Ill., wrote. 'That was the worst halftime show that I have ever seen,' another viewer from Catawba, N.C., wrote to the FCC. 'I'm glad that I couldn't understand most of what Kendrick Lamar was saying because I read the lyrics to a few of his songs, and I am appalled. It was divisive, downgrading, and filled with profanity. It is absolutely not appropriate entertainment for all ages.' 'For the next Super Bowl, please consider hiring musical entertainment that is family friendly and not socially or politically centered,' another viewer wrote. 'It would be a nice change to have entertainment that truly shows what America should be; family, country, decency and respect. It is tiresome to have to send children out of the room during what should be a family event due to possible vulgarity and inappropriate language/gestures,' the message said. It was unclear from the complaints which words viewers were objecting to — profanity is typically censored during halftime performances. Multiple viewers condemned the performance — which featured cameos from Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam and tennis legend Serena Williams as Lamar rapped his Drake diss track 'Not Like Us' — as 'racist' and 'anti-white.' 'All these people complain about racism and if the Super Bowl halftime show isn't racist then I don't know what is. There wasn't one white person in the whole show,' one person from Ocean City, Md. wrote. 'They get away with it but if it was all white it would be a different story. The halftime show should have both Black and white and be appropriate for everyone. This was a disgrace and it gets worse every year,' the viewer said. 'I want to know why is it that there was not one white person involved???? I felt discriminated against and why was Uncle Sam Black when Uncle Sam is white?' another complaint from Daytona Beach, Fla., said. 'I felt very discriminated. It made me feel very uncomfortable,' the person added. 'A varied selection of talented performers would have been much better and all inclusive,' an Easton, Pa., viewer wrote.
