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Scottish Government advise that all practices should apply the uplift to staff pay unless there are extenuating circumstances. We have resourced the average practice to afford a 6.5% increase for staff pay because we believe this is what practices will need to increase pay by to retain staff who could take up Agenda for Change posts. However practices are not obliged to follow our advice and pay is ultimately a matter between GP Partners and employees.

The Scottish Government did not provide any funding directly to Relationships Scotland Borders in 2022.

Relationships Scotland operate a network of 21 Member Services across Scotland, including Relationships Scotland Borders.

In 2022, the Scottish Government provided Relationships Scotland with core funding via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities third sector fund and with grant funding to provide child contact services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-21151 on 19 September 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers .

The Environmental Health Policy Co-ordination Group was formed in October 2022 and, as per the Terms of Reference aims to meet monthly, subject to member availability and other diary commitments. Since its inception in October 2022, the group has met 9 times. The Environmental Health Officer (EHO) vacancies and workforce shortages are a standing agenda item for each meeting.

The group consists of representatives from a number of Scottish Government directorates, Food Standards Scotland, COSLA, the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland and SOLACE. Other participants such as those representing education have been invited as determined by subject matter and agenda items.

Our refreshed Diabetes Improvement Plan outlines our commitment to further increase access to diabetes technologies to all who would benefit.

We would expect the prescribing clinician to discuss the most appropriate device for the individual and their circumstances. Where a mobile phone is not available, manufacturers provide receivers which are compatible with the devices.

Between 2016 and 2022, the Scottish Government invested £29.6 million of additional funding to support the increased provision of diabetes technologies, and we continue to work with stakeholders to ensure this is equitable across Scotland.

We do not recognise the source of the data you refer to that shows excess deaths in Scotland to be 10.1% above average.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) report the age-standardised rate of excess deaths to be 6% and 1% above expected levels for the first quarter (Q1) and second quarter (Q2) of 2023 respectively, and 4% below expected levels for the third quarter (Q3).

The NHS Scotland Academy (NHSSA) provides training opportunities across five programme areas: National Workforce Programmes; National Endoscopy Training Programmes (NETP); National Perioperative Training Programmes; National Imaging Training Programmes; NHS Scotland Youth Academy and the NHSSA Skills & Simulation Centre. Within these programme areas, NHSSA facilitates over 30 training courses. More information, including a full list of courses, can be found on the NHSSA website - www.nhsscotlandacademy.co.uk/education-and-training

In the last 12 months, NHSSA has provided additional training opportunities for 5,918 new and existing staff.

The learning modules “Preparing for work in Health and Social Care in Scotland”, designed to support incoming staff, have been completed by 3,941 learners in the last 12 months.

In financial year 2022-23, NHSSA was provided with £3.5m in funding.

As has been established practice for many years, the staff and vehicle required to move critically ill patients is determined based on circumstances and clinical need. Our specialist neonatal transfer service (ScotSTAR) will transfer those babies by air or road in specialist ambulances equipped to care for neonates.

ScotSTAR will be introducing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will have variations between emergency and scheduled/planned transfers. NHS Grampian will be on the outer limits for drivers but expectation would be that the journey will be done without a break.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Decisions on the national designation of services are considered by NHS National Services Division as part of NHS National Services Scotland.

NHS National Services Division have encouraged the MRgFUS team in NHS Tayside to submit a formal application for national designation of the MRgFUS service in Dundee. They hope to receive this in 2024-25.