The “hidden heroes” who provide unpaid care for loved ones in Scotland have reacted with dismay to news that a £25m deal to provide short-term respite for carers would apply only in England and Wales. The New Deal for Carers was announced by Gordon Brown, the Chancellor.

{mosimage}It also held out the prospect of full pensions rights for the legions who give up work to provide unpaid care for elderly and disabled friends and relatives. Workers must pay National Insurance Contributions to qualify for the state pension, but they lose the entitlement when they give up work. Ministers have already announced that those who provide at least 20 hours of care per week receive a credit towards their Contributions.

Mr Brown said yesterday: “Every one of the carers I have met is an inspiration and refutes a widespread cynicism that in today’s society, selfishness matters more than service to others. Having listened to their stories and the challenges they face, I know we must and will do more in the years to come to help.”

A Scottish charity has called on the Scottish Executive to appoint a dedicated victims’ commissioner. Victim Support Scotland said the person given the role would provide advice and assistance for victims, witnesses and their families.

An electronic pill that will be used to detect bowel cancer on its passage through the body is the first collaboration between Glasgow University and intellectual property investors with which it struck a deal in October.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Theresa Fyffe as Director for RCN Scotland.

Fife Council has denied social work staff were under criminal investigation in the notorious Colyn Evans case. Last week, MSP Tricia Marwick rounded on the local authority over claims police had considered charging members of staff responsible for managing the former Kennoway teenager.

Men and women in Scotland are twice as likely to die an alcohol-related death as people in the UK as a whole, according to new research. The Office for National Statistics analysed the geographical variations in drink-related death rates in the UK between 1991 and 2004.

Cash-strapped NHS hospitals are paying out more than ever in compensation. Last year in Scotland the service paid out almost £10 million as a result of more than 400 legal claims of clinical negligence received annually.

Leading Scots doctors have warned that plans to regulate GPs would “take away from patient care”. The UK Government wants new safeguards following the inquiry into the serial killer Harold Shipman. The proposals include a shake-up of regulations which would strip the General Medical Council of its power to strike off doctors.

Criminal charges against the owners of a care home where 14 elderly residents died in a fire have been dropped due to a legal loophole. Relatives of the dead pensioners have expressed their fury over the debacle.

Scotland’s already overcrowded prisons are to be stretched even further with the announcement that one of the country’s jails will close in May.