Kenneth J Gibson MSP

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) will take over the running of Scotland’s coronavirus (COVID-19) mobile testing units from the start of September.

Currently operated by HM Armed Forces, the mobile units will pass to SAS, where they will continue to support the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the management of localised ou...

New guidance has been published to help Scotland’s colleges and universities prepare for a safe and phased return to campus.

The guidance has been developed in partnership with colleges, universities, the Scottish Funding Council, trades unions and student bodies.

Institutions are planning for a phased return with a blended model of remote and lim...

The SNP Government is providing £900,000 to encourage the uptake of e-bikes across Scotland.

Local authorities, public sector agencies, community groups and further and higher education institutions can now apply for money to adopt e-bikes, adaptive bikes and e-cargo bikes as an alternative to car journeys.

For the first time, the eBike Grant Fund...

A rapid COVID-19 antibody test developed by diagnostics firm Omega has reached the significant design freeze stage which means it is ready for regulatory approval.

The lateral flow device, which allows people to test for antibodies at home with almost instant results, will now move on to the verification and validation which should lead to r...

A UK-wide £80 billion stimulus package should be created to regenerate the economy and reduce inequalities following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a new Scottish Government report proposes.

The report, published on Monday, suggests the package could finance a temporary reduction in VAT from 20% to 15%, whilst moving the tourism and hospita...

Cervical Cancer screening and some NHS Scotland national screening programmes which were paused in March because of coronavirus are set to resume safely, carefully and in a series of stages.

As of Monday 29 June, anyone who had been invited for cervical screening before the pause and was yet to make an appointment or had their appointment cancell...

Families in North Ayrshire will benefit from £877,000 of funding from the SNP Government to support the continued provision of free school meals during the summer holiday period and other food provision to help low income families.

Children in North Ayrshire eligible for free school meals  will benefit from £379,000 funding from the SNP governmen...

Statistics on school leaver destinations show that the gap between young people from the most and least deprived communities entering a ‘positive destination’ in North Ayrshire has more than halved since 2009/10.

The percentage has gone from 79.6% to 88.1% for the 20% most deprived and from 83.9% to 91.7% to the 20-40% most deprived.

The prop...

Care home residents across North Ayrshire and Scotland will be able to receive visitors outside from 03 July, provided the care home meets strict criteria, with infection control measures remaining in place.

The next phase of visiting will include outdoor meetings with a single nominated visitor and that face coverings must be worn for the visit’...

A new taskforce created to drive forward the recovery of Scotland’s vital tourism sector is to meet for the first time.

The Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce (STRT) is made up of more than 30 businesses with experience from across the industry. It is co-chaired by Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing MSP and Business Minister Jamie Hepburn MSP.

The ta...