Festive cheer for transplant Scot
SCOTLAND’S first non-beating heart transplant recipient is looking forward to Christmas after undergoing the historic procedure at the Golden Jubilee Hospital is Clydebank.
Colin Davidson is the first person to have a donation after circulatory heath (DCD) heart transplant in this country.
The Golden Jubilee is only the seventh heart transplant centre worldwide to have carried out the procedure as DCD organs were previously thought to be unsuitable for transplant.
Colin, 59, who is from Midlothian, had suffered from heart problems for around 13 years and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy.
He had a defibrillator and a cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator fitted in 2017 to deal with what later became heart failure.
ACAMPAIGN has been launched to stop private hire car drivers from picking up fares illegally in a bid to protect public health and safety.
The Glasgow Cab Section of Unite the union says that Police Scotland will provide two officers dedicated to tackling serious crime committed by drivers, provided the cab section pay for it.
A gofundme page has now been set up by Calum Anderson, Glasgow Cab Section chairman, to raise £2712 which would fund two officers for a minimum of six hours per night for four nights of action.
Glasgow Cab Section has been lobbying police to take action to stop pirating, when a private hire car driver takes a passenger without pre-booking, to prevent instances of fraud and sexual assault.
Getting into a cab without pre-booking also means the passenger and the driver are both uninsured during the journey.
In May this year a Glasgow City Council private hire car driver had his licence suspended after he was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. The case is still ongoing.
Glasgow City Council’s licensing committee witnesses many cases of drivers plying for trade every week, with culprits having their licence revoked or suspended as a result.
But the Glasgow Cab Section believes more action should be taken and that Glasgow and the rest of Scotland should follow in the footsteps of the rest of the UK, particularly Birmingham, where those who are caught pirating are fined and issued six penalty points.
Anderson said: “We have reached an epidemic which has resulted in the increase of serious crime including sexual assault.
“There is no deterrent to stop these people unlike the rest of the UK. If we can prevent one more life from being ruined by these people, it is well worth it.”
Councillor Alex Wilson, chairman of the licensing committee, says he will welcome any move that protects public health and safety.
He said: “I am happy with the Glasgow Cab Section doing this but it should be funded by Police Scotland. They should be monitoring this situation all night particularly at this time of year when more people are out in the city centre than normal. I am in favour of anything that protects public health and safety.”
Chief
Inspector
Audrey
Hand,