Loopholes in legislation providing free personal care to Scotland’s elderly must be closed to prevent councils operating waiting lists and rationing services, MSPs have demanded. The call came as it emerged that 24 local authorities were experiencing delays in assessing people to see if they were eligible for care or actually delivering help to over-65s with tasks such as washing and dressing. Lewis Macdonald, the deputy health minister, conceded there were “issues” over the implementationof the policy, as he faced questions from the parliament’s health committee.

Police said yesterday they had smashed Scotland’s biggest drugs ring after detaining 11 people in a series of dawn raids in the west of the country and Amsterdam. Fifteen properties were searched during the operation, which was the culmination of a three-year international drug-smuggling investigation.

Police in Tayside and Strathclyde have joined forces with more than 50 licensed premises to warn young people of the dangers of cocaine use. Bar staff and management will be handing out information leaflets on the subject during the drive. The move, aimed at 18 to 26-year-olds, also aims to highlight the availability of drug support services.

Fears have been raised that a popular treatment for severe acne could cause depression in patients. New research shows the drug Roaccutane produces depressive behaviour in mice when given to the rodents. Roaccutane – already linked to claims it caused depression and suicide in patients – left the mice immobile for longer periods than normal during stress tests. But scientists said more research was needed to establish whether the drug produced the same reaction in humans.

Shetland Islands Council is to cut staff and services while increasing charges in community care as it struggles to bring its spending habits into line. Services to the elderly and disabled dominated a package of savings agreed by councillors, as they endeavour to meet their target of five per cent cuts across the board for the whole of the authority. It emerged the main reason for some of the cuts was the lack of key staff rather than shortage of available cash. However members were warned the authority would have to “lever in” huge sums of money into social work in the face of an ageing population and falling school rolls.

{mosimage}More than three million pensioners will suffer from mental health problems by 2021 unless action is taken to promote mental wellbeing in the ageing population, according to a report put before the Scottish Parliament. It warns that elderly people are prone to suffer problems as a result of poverty, loneliness, and poor physical health, and called on local authorities, the Scottish Executive, and NHS to develop programmes to ensure they are kept engaged with society. The first report by the independent UK inquiry into mental health and wellbeing in later life, backed by Age Concern and the Mental Health Foundation, found there were 2.4 million elderly people in the UK with depression severe enough to impact on their quality of life.

A care worker was yesterday convicted of bullying residents in a nursing home dementia unit. Ken Bowie, 43, pushed elderly residents, pulled an old woman’s hair, and swore aggressively at confused dementia patients. When one confused woman – known for walking about in tears and asking helplessly “where will I go?” – tapped him on the shoulder in a corridor, he replied “Mary, go to f***”.

A well-known treatment for severe acne produced depressive behaviour in mice when it was given to them as part of a scientific study, according to research published yesterday. Roaccutane, which has already been linked to claims it causes depression and suicide in patients, left the animals immobile for longer periods than normal during stress tests.

New rules aimed at tackling prostitution threaten to drive the sex trade “underground”, campaigners warned yesterday.Currently only someone selling sex can be prosecuted for soliciting. But the Prostitution Bill, published by the Scottish Executive yesterday, will allow police to prosecute both the buyers and sellers of sex as long as they are judged to be causing “nuisance, alarm or offence”.

Scotland’s champion for older people in care homes has established a vital learning network to support staff to share and develop their practice and improve the standard of care. Thousands of care home workers, from the public, private and voluntary sectors will have the opportunity to exchange and share vital lessons they learn on the job. The pioneering move will help staff address some of the thorniest issues in care homes – including nutrition, end of life care and caring for people with dementia.