Image source, British Red Cross

"You learn to rely on yourself and only yourself," says 26-year-old Hazel Newell, reflecting on a period of her life that left her feeling alone, anxious and unable to connect with those around her.

According to new research by the British Red Cross, external, millions of people in the UK are suffering from loneliness and social isolation.

Of the 4,000 adults who made up the study, a fifth said they had no close friends at all.

More than a third said they "often" felt alone, with nobody to talk to.

And while many believe loneliness to be an issue that predominantly affects older people, the research suggests young adults are more likely to experience it.

Read more here.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton highlights how many disabled people and older people might choose not to leave their homes due to fears about accidents outdoors.

He calls for there to be a national falls strategy.

Lack of transport options can make social isolation and loneliness a happenstance, Mr Cole-Hamilton suggests.

Welcoming the strategy, he concludes by paraphrasing Mother Teresa, who said loneliness is the most terrible poverty.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says "loneliness is a major public health problem", pointing to the impact it can have on health conditions like heart disease.

Ms Johnstone suggests GPs should be able to offer longer appointments to ensure they can properly assess patients' issues with loneliness.

Access to good transport can reduce levels of social isolation, she adds.

In addition, public spaces must have the facilities people require - such as public toilets - so they feel able to leave their homes, the Green MSP states.

Labour MSP Alex Rowley insists there must be an end to austerity and investment in public services if the social isolation strategy is to work.

This strategy fails to acknowledge the threat that budget cuts to social security, local authorities and the third sector has on loneliness, he suggests.

Mr Rowley says the £1m fund announced with the strategy, while welcome, is "a drop in the ocean" compared to the cut councils are facing if the budget 2019-20 passes in its current form.

If we're going to address loneliness and isolation, we have to put resources into communities, the Labour MSP concludes.

Image source, Scottish parliament

Tory MSP Annie Wells highlights how prevalent the issue of loneliness and social isolation is throughout society.

The role of social media is changing how we interact with people day to day, she says.

Ms Wells calls for more work to be done on the impact of social media on loneliness, pointing to some evidence which suggests those that feel lonely are more likely to have more Facebook friends than those that do not.

We need to have a national conversation on offering acts of kindness - and on accepting them, she says.

Ms McKelvie says the lived environment is a key factor in how we interact with one another and the government wants to create conditions to allow individuals to thrive.

She confirms the government has established a national implementation group to oversee the strategy going forward, which includes a variety of stakeholders.

The minister concludes by saying the new strategy is a first step towards tackling loneliness and social isolation.

Equalities and Older People Minister Christina McKelvie explains social isolation is defined as when a person has an objective lack of social relationships, while loneliness is a subjective feeling.

Social isolation and loneliness can effect anyone at any stage in their life, she says.

Ms McKelvie confirms an older people's framework will be brought forward in the spring to improve how we as a society connect with older people.

But social isolation is not just something which impacts the elderly, she adds.

Helping young people build an early understanding of positive relationships is important and that is why health and wellbeing is at the heart of curriculum for excellence, says the minister.

Image source, Scottish government

The Scottish government has published its first strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation.

It has been backed by £1m over the next twos to support and expand innovative projects designed to bring people together.

A Connected Scotland: Tackling social isolation and loneliness, external integrates health and social care, transport and digital connectivity to help create more connected communities.

Older People and Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said: "Social isolation and loneliness can have a significant impact on a person's physical and mental wellbeing which is why we are tackling this issue with a preventative approach allowing loneliness and social isolation to be treated as a public health issue."

The Scottish government is leading a debate on its new strategy for tackling social isolation a loneliness.

Here is the text of the motion...

Image source, Scottish parliament

A West Lothian mother has told of the "traumatic" experience of being forced to take her child to Edinburgh late at night for emergency hospital treatment.

Mary MacKenzie brought 11-month-old son Kenzie to A&E at St John's Hospital in Livingston suffering from a high temperature and heart rate.

With no 24-hour children's ward at St John's, it took three hours for them to be moved to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh.

They were later discharged, without transport available, at 23:00.

Read more here.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone asks if the "hard learned lessons" of St John's will impact some of the legislation going through parliament with regard to over-recruitment.

Ms Freeman says all such experiences inform draft legislation and she adds that health boards must have a sustainable model for over-recruitment to ensure skills can be deployed elsewhere.

Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton says some parents are taking their children straight to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children so demand is not completely clear.

He ask about the use of bank and locum staff.

The health secretary reiterates the importance of having a sustainable model of staffing to ensure services do not have to close again.

Tory MSP Miles Briggs says services have been removed in West Lothian on three occasions in the past - in 2012, 2015 and 2017 - and points to some scepticism in the community about the sustainability of services.

Ms Freeman insists NHS Lothian is on track to fully reopen the service and adds the health board is committed to ensuring it is sustainable.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon asks if the cabinet secretary and health board has any estimate of how many children will continue to be transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children between now and October.

The health secretary says it is difficult to estimate exactly what difference the four-day 24-hour opening will make, but the board expects there to be a significant reduction on children being transferred.

NHS Lothian expects the improved staffing position will allow for the full reopening of the inpatient unit by October 2019, the health secretary confirms.

The four night interim arrangements will improve further recruitment efforts, she adds.

The health secretary says NHS Lothian is committed to over-recruitment to build resilience and mitigate risks associated with sick leave.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman begins by highlighting the dedication of the staff at St John's Hospital and reiterates her commitment to fully reinstating paediatric services there.

She tells the chamber NHS Lothian has evolved its interim model since it was first implemented, which has led to a drop in children transferred but not admitted to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

Ms Freeman says reinstating the 24-hour service will require an adequate rota and two tiers of trained staff, with consultant paediatricians and a full rota of other medical and nursing staff.

She confirms that from 18 March there will be a reopening of the 24-hour services Monday to Thursday, with current arrangements remaining in place for the remaining three days.

Image source, Google

The children's ward at a West Lothian hospital will not fully re-open until "adequate and safe levels of staffing" are established, MSPs were told in September.

St John's Hospital in Livingston had to stop accepting patients at night in 2017 due to "fragile" staff levels.

The health board has been working to restore a 24-hour in-patient service, amid pressure from MSPs at Holyrood.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said "encouraging progress" had been made, but did not set a date for re-opening.

Read more here.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman updates MSPs on the children's ward at St John's Hospital in Livingston.