Deep Concern at Level of Attacks on NHS Staff
Mark Griffin MSP has expressed his shock at the revelation of figures which show a dramatic rise in the number of assaults on NHS Lanarkshire staff in 2011/12.
The figures show that the number of attacks on staff went from 441 in 2010/11 to 1,740 in 2011/12, a 295% increase in the space of a year. Initial estimates show a decrease thus far in 2012/13, however it is predicted that there will still be twice as many attacks this year than in 2010/11.
As a consequence, Mr Griffin has called on the Health Board and the Scottish Government to look at ways to address the problem.
Mark said:
"These staggering figures clearly show that NHS staff in our area are being subjected to unacceptable levels of violence and abuse.
"It is of vital importance that the Scottish Government works closely with NHS Lanarkshire to ensure that staff are offered better protection in their place of work, but also make moves to ensure that stricter penalties are enforced on those who are showing violence towards the people trying to help them."
Questions Raised on Scotland's Defence
Mark Griffin MSP has led the Scottish Labour Party’s response to the UK Government’s proposals for troop numbers in Scotland in Parliament on Wednesday 6 March.
Labour’s Veterans Spokesman heavily criticised both the UK Government for the cuts to the number of troops that will be based in Scotland and the Scottish Government, which a leaked dossier shows would likely cut the defence budget further if Scotland becomes independent.
Mark said:
"The cut to the number of troops set to be based in Scotland is a betrayal and the UK Government should hang their heads in shame. Despite giving a commitment to double the armed forces personnel based in Scotland, the Defence Secretary has now reneged on his Government’s pledge, something that will not be forgotten or forgiven.
"I am also deeply concerned by the leaked dossier from John Swinney, which highlights that significant cuts will have to be made if a yes vote is achieved in 2014. When I quizzed Veterans Minister Keith Brown on the extent the impact of these cuts would have on Scotland’s Armed Forces he could not provide me with an answer.
"It is deeply disrespectful to our armed forces personnel for Scottish Ministers to say one thing in public and, at the same time, secretly plan to cut the services to a greater extent than the UK Government are."
Broadband U-Turn is Welcomed
Mark Griffin MSP and Gregg McClymont MP have welcomed the news that BT will honour previous guarantees and roll out fibre broadband for black spots in Cumbernauld. Both the MSP and MP were left angered by BT’s decision to scrap its proposed broadband upgrades in Craigmarloch in November after saying the plans were not “commercially viable”.
The MSP and MP have received hundreds of complaints from Craigmarloch residents about the poor service in the area. BT was scheduled to extend superfast broadband to the area in March 2012. This was then delayed to September 2012, and then put off once again to December 2012. Having informed Mr Griffin in November that the project was commercially unviable, BT have now made a U-turn on this and will upgrade five cabinets serving Carrickstone, Craigmarloch, Westfield and Smithstone.
Mark said:
“I am pleased that BT has reconsidered its position on this matter. I was concerned at the news in November that the upgrades were not going ahead and made representations on behalf of local people who contacted me about the inability to access superfast broadband.
“It is unacceptable that a town the size of Cumbernauld has had considerably substandard broadband speeds for so long, so it is vital that BT go ahead with the works at the earliest opportunity.
“However the Scottish Government must step up to the plate too and direct some investment to the area. I recognise that rural areas have a poor service and that has to be addressed, but it should not mean that our urban hubs like Cumbernauld get neglected, something that appears to have been happening in recent years.”
Gregg McClymont MP added:
“I am delighted that BT have u-turned on their previous decision to upgrade internet connections in these areas and have included them in their infrastructure upgrade programme. This will be welcome news for the internet starved constituents on whose behalf I petitioned ministers.
“However, some of Cumbernauld will still have a poor internet connection even after this round of investment. That’s why I support my colleague Mark Griffin’s call for the Scottish Government to invest in Cumbernauld to give us a better broadband service.”
Young deaf people neglected by mental health services
The National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) has uncovered a concerning lack of mental health services available for deaf young people in Scotland, despite 40% of deaf people being likely to experience mental health issues in their youth.
The NDCS has joined forces with the Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD) to launch the ‘Helping Hand’ campaign, backed by Mark Griffin MSP, who has championed Deaf issues since being elected to Parliament, and who is currently attempting to get his British Sign Language (Scotland) Bill onto the statute books. The campaign calls on the Scottish Government to provide mental health services for deaf children and young people in Scotland, and was officially launched in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 5 February.
Mark said:
“It is incredibly difficult for deaf people across Scotland to access vital services that the hearing population takes for granted, so it is vitally important that the Scottish Government takes appropriate action.
“40% Scotland’s 3,500 young deaf people will experience mental health problems and the fact that they do not have the same access to services as the hearing population shows a clear discrimination that must be addressed.
“I fully support the ‘Helping Hand’ Campaign, which calls on the Scottish Government to provide much improved services, and access to those services, for Scotland’s young deaf people. I also hope that fellow MSPs from across the political spectrum support the proposals laid out in my British Sign Language (BSL) Scotland Bill, which seeks to have all public authorities in Scotland provide comprehensive action plans on the work they will undertake to promote BSL and improve access to services to all of Scotland’s BSL users.”
Deafness itself is not a risk factor for increased mental health and emotional wellbeing issues, however being deaf in a hearing orientated world can lead to feelings of isolation and increased anxiety. It is widely recognised that deaf children experience a higher risk of psychological, behavioural and emotional issues than hearing children, something that is recognised by Anne Lennon, Director of the National Deaf Children’s Society in Scotland.
Anne said:
“Quite often a deaf child can feel very isolated and alone and without the right support they can often develop mental health problems.
“We want to see more chances for deaf children to have access to positive role models, a dedicated specialist Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for deaf children and young people who do need extra help and improved deaf awareness in all schools across Scotland. With the right support deaf children and young people can achieve whatever they want to achieve.”
Griffin Signs Up for Commonwealth Games
Labour’s Shadow Minister for Sport Mark Griffin MSP has signed up as a volunteer, to assist with the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
The MSP for Central Scotland has encouraged constituents, young and old to do the same, offering a helping hand in the biggest sporting event in Scotland’s history.
Mark said:
“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be the largest sporting and cultural event ever hosted in Scotland and it presents a great opportunity for people, young and old, from across our communities, to get involved.
“The London Olympics showed us the vital role that volunteers play in making the Games a success. It will be the same for Glasgow 2014.
“I hope that anyone who is interested in taking part gets involved. There is every chance that many of us will not see the Commonwealth or Olympic Games come to our shores within our lifetimes, so it is important that we do not let this moment in history pass us by.”
No previous experience is necessary for the majority of volunteer roles and the emphasis is on finding people who are friendly, welcoming and dedicated to making the Games a success.
Applications close on Thursday, February 28. Go to www.glasgow2014.com/volunteer to sign up
RSS
