Rankin’s anger at government spin as disabled son still awaits the vaccine
Ian Rankin has spoken of his frustration with the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 vaccine programme, saying people who have family members with special needs feel “let down”.
The Fife-born, Edinburghbased crime writer feels his ownson,kit,hasbeen“forgotten”asvaccinesweredelivered to care homes.
The 26-year-old, who has severe learning difficulties, lives in an Edinburgh care facility, but did not qualify in the first priority group.
People with a “severe or profound” learning disability are in priority group six for the vaccine – but Rankin believes those in Kit's circumstance “shouldhavebeenprioritised”.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme, the Inspector Rebus writer said: “Our son can't look after himself and he's in the same group as us – his parents who are healthy 65-year-olds. People with learning difficulties should have been prioritised.
"It'sabitlatenow.mysonwill get the jab in the next month or so. But we should learn lessons for the future about what seems to be a bit of a lottery."
Rankinbelievesthereshould have been better communication with families throughout the entire programme.
He said: "The families and the carers have been kept out the loop. Life's hard enough for them. This year has been toughwithoutanyoftheusual services,treatment,education they usually get.
“The idea they're just being forgotten about sitting in isolating in their care homes.
“Bothgovernmentskeeptellingusit'swonderfulthey'vegot all the care homes done. No, you haven't. You've got care homes for the elderly done. There'smorecarehomesthan that out there.”
An SOS has been sent out by researchers looking to find out what has happened to some of Scotland’s most threatened seabirds.
Scientistsstudyingbirdlifeon the Isle of May are concerned over the "disappearance” of shags in the Firth of Forth after the recent period of severe weather, which has impacted many wildlife species.
Dr Francis Daunt leads longterm studies of the effects of environmental change and human activities on seabird populations on the Isle of May for the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).
His team have
been monitoring birds on the island foralmost50years,focusingon six key species – puffins, guillemots,razorbills,kittiwakes,fulmars and shags.
But this week they noticed there were fewer shags on their customary roosts – around a third of the expected number.
The findings have prompted an appeal for people based around the area to keep their eyes peeled for any signs of the missing seabirds.
“Thereasonweareconcerned about these populations right now is that they can be badly affected by extreme weather,” Dr Daunt said. “Summer stormscanwashawaynestsoff low-lying cliffs, and sustained badweatherinwintercancause many birds to starve.
“A particular problem arises during easterly storms on the east coast of Scotland, because there is very little shelter.
“Shags are particularly affected by this since they feed very close to the coast and struggle to catch fish as the waves crash onto the shoreline.
“They also don’t store a lot of fat reserves, unlike many other seabird species.”
Sustainedbadwinterweather in early 1994 wiped out 80 per cent of adult shags on the Isle of May. And similar events have occurred every few years since.
Shags can be seen resting on rocky shores during daytime but spend their nights on high cliffsorislandstokeepsafefrom predators.
Ukcehresearchershavenow become worried for the fate of the Forth colony.
“Itwashardtoknowwhatwas goingonbecausetheseawasso roughthatmanyoftheirfavourite rocks were being washed over by waves,” Dr Daunt said.
“It was only when the team wenttotheisleofmaythisweek that it was clear that the numbers in the Firth of Forth were much reduced.”
He says there are only two likely explanations for their absence. The first is that the birds may have moved elsewhere during the stormy weather to seek better feeding opportunities.
But the worse outcome is that they have died.
“Or it could be a bit of both,” he said.
“The Beast of the East three years ago was the last major eventandmanyshagsandother seabirds died on the east coast.
“Weather forecasters said this recent event was similar, but slightly less severe, so perhaps the effects will be smaller.
“Wewillbemonitoringthesituationverycloselytoseewhether numbers in the Forth return to normal.”
In the meantime the team is encouraging locals to report any dead birds discovered on beaches, recording date, time, location and numbers of each species found.
Hestressedthatpeopleshould avoid touching carcasses and respect lockdown restrictions.