At the impact on patients, healthcare workers and the wider nhs. The personal stories of more than 30,000 people will form part of the evidence heard over the coming weeks. 0ur Reporterjoe Inwood has more. There was no area of life untouched by the covid 19 pandemic. But what impact did it have on those who risked their lives to save others . Thats The Question being asked by the next stage of the covid Public Inquiry, known as module three, which begins today. It will examine how Health Care workers were impacted, looking at the issue of ppe, at masks and Infection Control, as well as the way that gps and the 111 helpline were used. It will also aim to shed light on the thorny issues of shielding for the most vulnerable, maternity services and end of life care, along with many other areas. The Public Inquiry started injune last year, and is looking at all aspects of the worst pandemic of modern times. This section is set to take ten weeks, and will include 30,000 stories submitted by
But a report from the Scottish Fiscal Commission says while Uk Government policies have contributed to the pressure, much of it comes from the Scottish Governments own decisions. Heres our scotland editorjames cook. This is the reality of life less than four miles from the scottish parliament. A Community Centre handing out free bread to help the residents of muirhouse make ends meet. And yet, now, here and across scotland, the tough times could be about to get worse. Prolonged westminster austerity, the economic damage of brexit, a global pandemic, the war in ukraine, and The Cost Of Living crisis, have all placed enormous and growing pressure on the public finances. I must take further and more urgent action now to ensure that we can balance the scottish budget in 2024 25. And i call. There is also £800 million of additional spending for new pay offers, and all that means £500 million in direct service cuts, plus a raid on the Proceeds Of Offshore Wind and publicly owned scottish w
Borrowing from the George Osborne and David Cameron playbook. You say that things are so terrible that we will have to make really difficult decisions. Dont blame me, blame the last lot. We are trying to fix the mess. They have evidence to suggest that argument isnt completely fabricated. However, icannot emphasise enough that Making Decisions is difficult. And the government will have to choose to do certain things. And when it makes those decisions, it will face the consequences of its actions. And in that sense, yes, you can blame the last administration. Yes, you can say that there is not as much money as we hoped or thought or could have been available if the economy had been available if the economy had been managed in a different way. But you still have to take responsibility for the decisions that you are taking. So in that sense, there is no doubt this government is going to feel a lot of pressure over the next few weeks, particularly leading up to the budget at the end of oct