A radical new approach to preventing heart disease could save more than 7,000 lives over the next five years, according to health professionals. Experts are recommending a new approach which they say could also prevent 27,000 heart attacks and other “cardiac events” in Scotland.

The Scottish Executive is undertaking their first ever inspection of Shetland Islands Council’s social work department. The inspection began in December and is part of a three year national rolling programme. Shetland will be the last of the Scottish islands to be inspected.

Senior doctors fear the size of Scotland’s flagship new children’s hospital is to be cut by up to one-quarter amid soaring building costs. The Herald understands NHS planners no longer believe they can deliver a promised 40,000sq metre replacement for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill with a £100m grant pledged by the Executive in 2004.

Choose Life, Scotland’s national strategy to prevent suicide, will host its fourth national summit in Edinburgh this week, which will bring together key people tasked with reducing Scotland’s suicide rate.

An urgent plea for cash was made this week by Fife’s social work boss following a year where his department struggled with shortfalls of nearly £15 million.

Social work staff in Midlothian claim they warned management a teenager in care was at risk of committing sex abuse, but their concerns were ignored and the boy has since been in court for a string of sex offences.

Seven high-risk patients at Carstairs mental hospital will be released to less secure accommodation within weeks. The patients were all judged by Scottish courts to pose a risk to public safety but have had their security status downgraded partly as a result of European human rights laws.

Charities across Scotland have reacted angrily to a decision by the Scottish Executive to restrict vital funding, warning that it will lead to a loss of jobs and services.

A charity which collapsed last month with the loss of 600 jobs was experiencing financial problems at least two years ago after it was confirmed managers were failing to pass on workers’ pension contributions.

A new cervical cancer screening system in Scotland could be delayed because of security concerns, it is feared. GPs said it was unacceptable that the computer system would allow anyone with a password – including administrative staff – to access smear test results.