The Slanjava Summary | Health & Social Care News Roundup 19/10/25

Welcome to this week’s Slanjava Summary from Slanjava Learning Ltd | helping others to help others, your round-up of health and social care news across Scotland and the UK.

This edition covers workforce pressures, system reform, innovation and resilience, which continue to define the sector as we move deeper into autumn.

This week’s Slanjava Summary shares key developments across Scotland and the UK in health and social care, helping you stay informed on workforce trends, reforms, and sector news.

Health and Social Care News

Workforce Pressures and Industrial Action

Care staff in Glasgow are preparing to strike following a breakdown in pay and workload negotiations. Unions describe the dispute as part of a "crisis" in adult social care, highlighting low pay, rising demand and chronic staff shortages. Read more on the Glasgow Times: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/25551322.glasgow-care-staff-set-strike-in-crisis/#:~:text=Care%20staff%20in%20Glasgow%20are,Friday%2C%20October%2017%2C%202025

This follows the Scottish Government’s announcement of a £500,000 visa sponsorship fund to attract overseas care workers and help stabilise the workforce amid new UK immigration restrictions. While welcomed by providers, many warn that the fund is unlikely to meet the scale of need. Read more on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/13/john-swinney-scottish-government-sponsor-visas-foreign-care-workers

Across the wider NHS, junior doctors in England have elected a new, more moderate leadership team at the British Medical Association, potentially paving the way for improved negotiations with the government after months of industrial action. Read more on The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/junior-doctors-strike-news-zhs8kdr0g

Innovation, Safety and Public Health

Glasgow is taking a bold step in harm reduction as it becomes the first UK city to launch legal drug-checking services, supported by national funding and a new testing hub at the University of Dundee. The pilot aims to detect synthetic opioids and reduce drug-related deaths. Read more on The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/glasgow-to-offer-legal-testing-of-drugs-amid-synthetic-opioid-threat-0zx66bxfb

Meanwhile, a long-acting HIV prevention injection (CAB-LA) has been approved for use in England and Wales, offering an alternative to daily oral PrEP and complementing existing access in Scotland. Read more on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/oct/17/hiv-prevention-injection-england-wales

Digital health also remains under scrutiny. The NHS Scotland app, intended to modernise access to records and prescriptions, faces criticism after its cost rose to £17 million and timelines slipped again. Read more on The Scottish Sun: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/15463223/snp-mocked-spin-doctor-costly-nhs-app

System Reform and Service Quality

Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission warn that the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 risks losing momentum due to unclear accountability and weak planning. The report on The Promise calls for clearer leadership, data and measurable outcomes. Read more on Third Force News: https://tfn.scot/news/new-report-warns-care-system-reform-lacks-clarity-and-accountability

The debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament, symbolising the policy and reform discussions shaping the future of health and social care across Scotland.

Unpaid carers continue to report feeling excluded from care-planning decisions, despite statutory requirements for inclusion. The Mental Welfare Commission’s review urges stronger implementation and communication by local authorities and health boards. Read more on healthandcare.scot: https://healthandcare.scot/stories/4311/mental-welfare-commission-unpaid-carers-scotland

The UK Government has also confirmed it will replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) system with the new Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), aiming to strengthen protections for people who lack capacity while reducing administrative delays. The change has been welcomed by many in the sector but will require careful implementation across care homes, hospitals and local authorities. Read more on Community Care: https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/10/18/government-will-replace-dols-with-liberty-protection-safeguards

Across England, concerns are rising about maternity care safety, with more than 14,000 new mothers readmitted to hospital within 30 days of giving birth last year. The figures have renewed scrutiny of postnatal support and staffing levels. Read more on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/18/thousands-of-new-mothers-in-england-readmitted-to-hospital-after-birth-figures-show

Winter Pressures and Sector Resilience

With colder months ahead, the Department of Health and Social Care’s 2025–26 Winter Letter sets out expectations for local authorities and providers on infection control, discharge coordination and workforce resilience. Read the DHSC guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-winter-letter-2025-to-2026

Why It Matters

Across the UK, health and social care remain at a crossroads, balancing workforce sustainability, safety and reform against growing demand and financial constraints. Scotland’s pragmatic approach to workforce support and harm reduction stands out, but the challenges of retention, funding and inclusion are shared nationwide.

Workforce wellbeing continues to underpin all of these issues. Supporting staff to manage stress and maintain resilience is critical to safe, compassionate care. That is why our accredited First Aid for Mental Health courses help teams recognise early signs of mental distress, respond confidently and build psychologically safe workplaces: https://www.slanjavalearning.co.uk/first-aid-for-mental-health-courses

Stay Informed

For more updates, resources and accredited training opportunities, follow Slanjava Learning Ltd on LinkedIn and Facebook, or visit: https://www.slanjavalearning.co.uk

Kind regards,

Slanjava Learning Ltd | Helping others to help others

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